Kitsune Sanctuary
by sirknightchase816
Summary: At the young age of four, Naruto is forcefully taken out of Konoha. Left to die, a young fox stumbles upon him. These actions cause a ripple effect to go throughout the elemental nations! With his new friends and family, how will the world react? Will the world change for the better, or the worse?
1. Chapter 1

A/N - Hello everyone! Today I bring you a new story I've been working on for a while, and I'm rather proud of it if I do say so myself! I've gone through and tried to spot any grammatical errors, but while I tried my best... there is the possibility I missed some. After reading the story, I hope you take the time to review and let me know what you think.

One more thing! This story is going to be my baby, meaning I'm taking my time! It'll be slower to update then a lot of stories, but I hope you enjoy it enough to stick around. I have other story ideas that won't take as long to write, so if I ever need a break from writing this one... well expect a different story!

Enjoy the story!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

Updated - 3/25/2018

I went ahead and fixed some errors that I managed to find! I want it to be refined, so that's what I'm doing! This is my baby after all!

Updated - 4/20/2018

I fixed some more small mistakes. I'm just polishing it, and will continue to do so until it sparkles! I can only hope that there aren't very many left, but I have a feeling there are still quite a few.

Updated 8/13/2018

I fixed even more grammar mistakes! It's starting to sparkle! I guarantee that there are still more issues, but I'll find them over time.

* * *

=The Border of Hi No Kuni=

"Shouldn't we just kill him instead of leaving it to chance?" a middle-aged man questioned. He has always hated the damn fox after it killed his wife and daughter. The Sandaime Hokage had told everyone to see the demon as a hero, but how could he treat a demon who killed his family as a hero? The whole idea was preposterous!

"No, we'll leave him here. He doesn't know where Konoha is, so we'll never see the kid again anyways." The second man replied. Truthfully, he never really hated the kid. He never believed that this child was the Kyuubi in human form or whatever bullshit propaganda the villagers would spread around. However, a fat merchant had offered him a lot of money to get rid of the demon. A lot of money he needed to make ends meet.

"Whatever, let's just get out of here." The middle-aged man sneered as he took off back towards Konoha.

"I'm sorry kid, I hope you don't suffer too much." The man sighed and took after his partner.

The two men didn't realize the altercation between them was being watched. The small fox attracted by the noise investigated. Its two tails swished back and forth in the bush eyeing the small blonde child lying in the grass. The fox's curiosity had been peeked and leaped out of the bushes and landed on the child's stomach. She eyed the child, golden hair that seemed to light up the night, three whiskers on each side of his cheek, and he smelled heavily of foxes. She hopped off his stomach and started walking back to her den. Her family would be interested in the fox child.

Light pierced through the forest canopy waking the golden-haired boy. His sapphire blue eyes opened lazily, looking up at the leafy roof. _'I don't remember going into the woods.'_ Naruto thought, then winced and reached up to his head. His head felt cold and wet, he pulled his hand down to look and saw his hand was crimson red. ' _Blood? I'm bleeding!?'_ Immediately panicking, he sat up trying to figure out where he was. Trying desperately to remember what happened before he blacked out.

* _Flashback_ *

Naruto had been wandering the streets late at night since he had been kicked out of the orphanage. He never understood why the villagers called him crude names, hatefully glared at him, and abused him. When he had lived in the orphanage, it was more like a prison. He even had his own personal cell they called his room. They barely fed him, sometimes going days without food. They refused to let him play with the other kids, and wouldn't allow him to learn. He was completely isolated. Sometimes he would be woken up through violence, because _'A demon shouldn't be allowed to sleep peacefully!'_

He arrived at the playground and walked over to the swing set. He sat there quietly trying to wrap his head around his life. _'Why does everyone hate me?'_ He wished that someone would tell him, so he could fix it. He didn't act differently then other kids, at least he didn't think he did. He had occasionally looked in the mirror for some sort of defect, but the only thing that was remotely strange were his three whiskers. That wasn't enough to warrant so much hatred, right? He had occasionally asked why everyone hated him, or what he did wrong, but they would only sneer and tell him, "You know what you did demon!"

Caught in his own thoughts he hadn't noticed two chūnin spying on him, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce without causing a scene. A twig snapped ironically snapping Naruto out of his daze. He felt someone glaring at him, slightly scaring him. "W-who's there!? I'm warning you!" Naruto yelled out, hoping to scare away whoever was watching him. He knew it wouldn't work, but he wasn't going to just sit there and wait.

An older man jumped out in front of him startlingly Naruto causing him to fall on his butt. He had brown hair that was ragged and covered his right eye. A grotesque scar peeking out from behind his hair. His eyes glared hatefully, full of disgust. "Not too tough now are you demon! You'll pay for what you did to my family!" The older man sneered forcing killing intent (KI) to wash over the young boy. Though the KI was minor and mostly pathetic, to an inexperienced person like Naruto, it felt like a lot.

"I-I didn't do anything!" Naruto cried out, which only seemed to upset the man more. Naruto started to crawl back to get some space from the man. He just needed room to run. Sudden pain radiated from his head, he rolled onto the ground clutching his head. It felt like someone hit him with the blunt end of a kunai.

"You're making a scene Hiro, let's hurry up and get this done with. The faster he's out of Konoha, the faster we get paid and can get home." a voice from behind him said. That had been the last thing Naruto heard before his eyes felt like sandbags and he drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

* _Flashback End_ *

His eyes widened in fear, he wasn't in Konoha anymore. Questions started flooding his mind, to which he had no answers for. _Where did they leave me?! Which way is home?!_ Then another thought crossed his mind. _Do I want to go back home?_ The idea of leaving the village had plagued his mind before since everyone seemed to hate him. Just maybe he could find people who would like him out in the world. He just couldn't bring up the courage to do it. He didn't have the survival skills to be out in the world. When he had been kicked out of the orphanage he panicked, trying to figure out where he was going to get his next meal. Luckily for him, people were wasteful. Trashcans were always packed with so much food that he would be fine. Now though, he didn't have that option.

Naruto jumped up onto his feet, but suddenly feeling slightly light-headed, fell back against a tree. He reached back up to his head trying to figure out how bad the wound was. Feeling around, he winced. It felt like a very small gash, which luckily for him was healing up rather nicely. Naruto, of course, didn't know that and was still panicking. Someone had knocked him out roughly and dragged him out of his home. He had every right to be panicking.

The sound of bushes around him rustling froze Naruto in place. Naruto wasn't stupid, he realized the situation he was in. Here he was, a four-year-old boy, bleeding and wounded, in the middle of the woods. You might as well put a sign on him that reads, 'Free Meal!' He could feel eyes on him from every direction. _'It's almost like the same feeling I get in the village… But it feels different, not threatening.'_

Foxes started slowly coming out of the bushes and shadows around Naruto circling him, keeping a slight distance from him. All of them varying in different sizes, the largest standing right in front of him. It was around the size of a large horse, with fur that was a shaded black with pearl colored stripes throughout it. Its electric blue slitted eyes staring at Naruto with interest, but the most noticeable feature was the eight large tails swishing back and forth. Looking around, all the foxes varying in color had a different number of tails. Some had the normal amount, one tail, while others had two to seven.

Naruto was going through a mixture of emotions ranging from excitement to unadulterated fear. Him being a piece of prime meat had not left his mind, however being surrounded by his favorite animal excited him. Naruto had always loved foxes, he felt somewhat at peace with them. However, when he told his caretaker that, he had received a beating and was locked in his room for two days without any contact.

* _Flashback_ *

The caretaker had walked in front of the gathering children. Their smiles always seemed to brighten her day, but of course, it was ruined when she saw it gather around her as well. She decided to humor it for now.

"Okay everyone, I got a special surprise for everyone! We were donated a bunch of stuffed animals!" the old caretaker said kindly to the children sitting in front of her. She had been given stuffed animals to hand out to the young children to sleep with. It was a kind gesture, and she knew the kids would love them. "So, what's your favorite animal?" she asked.

"I like birds!" a young girl screamed.

"I like frogs." a young boy replied.

"I like tigers." a pale boy replied happily.

It had continued like this, everyone excited to get a stuffed animal. When it finally reached Naruto's turn, he saw the same hateful look she always gave him. It confused him, but he wanted a stuffed animal, and he was going to get one! "I like foxes!" Naruto yelled out happily.

Naruto had felt like he just got hit by a horse's hoof. His cheek was stinging and tears threatening to escape his eyes and saw utter loathing in her eyes. _'What did I do this time?'_ Naruto thought sadly, confused on what he did wrong. Even some of the other kids were confused with the random violence of their caretaker. They knew he wasn't treated like all of them, but they didn't think he deserved it. All they had been told was to stay away from him because he was an evil child, and very dangerous. They did as they were told, they didn't know any better.

"Of course, the demon likes foxes, should have seen that coming from a mile away!" she sneered. Grabbing Naruto by the ear, she dragged him roughly through the orphanage and threw him into his room. "You're grounded, and will stay in here until I let you out!" she said angerly, then slammed the door leaving Naruto to cry in his room alone.

It was five agonizingly long days before she opened the door to see if he was still alive. Much to her annoyance, he was sitting in his bed, back pressed up against the wall. He was curled up with his knees pressed up against his chest, sitting there silently. She didn't say a word to him and just left with the door open.

Naruto's eyes gazed upwards towards the open door. He slowly uncurled from his ball and stood up shakily and made his way out. He was excruciatingly hungry and thirsty. This happened often enough that Naruto was getting used to this treatment, which only made the situation that much worse.

* _Flashback End_ *

After that day, Naruto kept his love for foxes a secret to avoid his caretaker's wrath. He had learned over time that foxes were a sort of taboo after the _Kyūbi no Yōko_ attacked. He had heard the caretaker talking to the other children about their hero, the Yondaime Hokage who had sacrificed his life and saved their village by slaying the demon fox.

The large black fox crept closer to Naruto snapping him out of his thoughts. Naruto was frozen in place, there wasn't anything he could do about them. He didn't have the strength to fight against one fox of this size, let alone an army of them. The fox's face was only an inch from his face. Its hot breath brushing up against him. It suddenly backed away from him and faced the others.

"It seems you were right, he does smell like him. He smells just like Kurama-sama" The black foxed suddenly said. When he was told that this kit smelt like their leader, his father, he scoffed at it. There was no way a child would smell like him unless he had contact with him. That was impossible, they hadn't seen their leader in almost a hundred years. However, his curiosity has already peaked, and he needed to know for sure. As soon as he smelt the kit he froze. The kit did smell like Kurama-sama, but how? There was no way he could smell like him unless he had just had contact with him. Unless…

Naruto's eyes shot open faster than light itself. Not only was he surrounded by foxes, but he was surrounded by talking foxes who haven't eaten him yet! Something caught his attention though, ' _they said I smelt like someone named Kurama. Who is Kurama, and why do I smell like him?_ '

"Told you tou-san." She replied cheekily. When she had seen the boy being abandoned by those two men, her curiosity was already peaked. However, when his scent reached her, her eyes opened like saucers. ' _He smells just like him._ ' Now she needed to get closer, however, she would have to wait until the two men left. When they did leave, she got a closer look. He was adorable, and his whiskers were cute, but he did smell like Jiji. She went to alert her tou-san about this right away. When she finally returned to check up on the boy, he was just waking up and was starting to panic.

"U-um, who is Kurama and how can you talk? I didn't know foxes were able to talk." Naruto suddenly asked causing him to become the focus of attention again. He shifted nervously, the questions were running rampant in his head and he wanted answers. Who better to get answers out of than a majestic talking eight-tailed fox?

"Kurama-sama is our leader and my otousan. However, he went missing years ago, and we recently heard he had been slain by the hands of you humans." The black fox answered sharply, "The reason we can talk is that we were gifted by Kurama-sama."

Naruto continued resting his back against the tree processing the newly given information. He was curious about something, "Why do I smell like him then?" Naruto asked, his curiosity peeked. Normally curiosity kills the cat, but luckily for Naruto, he wasn't a cat; if anything, he was a fox.

"I have an idea on why you smell like him, but I won't talk carelessly out in the open. Follow me kit." He said coolly.

Naruto got up cautiously and started following the large black fox. He desperately wanted to ask more questions but decided against taking that action and remained silent. He would get his chance to ask questions when they arrived wherever they were going. It's not every day a group of talking foxes approaches you and tells you to follow them.

The forest around them was relatively silent other than the sound of walking through the brush. The trees were large, like the ones that surrounded Konoha, and the branches were just as big. There was very little sunlight that got through the canopy of leaves, however, the rays of light that did get through gave the forest a sort of mystical feel.

They stopped in front of two trees that reached up high then wrapped around one another, creating an arch. It looked like an entrance, but there was nothing but forest on the other side. The sight was beautiful to Naruto, but he was curious as to why they stopped here. ' _Was this there home?_ ' Naruto thought curiously.

"This here is the entrance to our sanctuary." The black fox said, "If you don't have fox blood running through you, you won't be able to get in." The black fox stared at the entrance then glanced back at the young kit. This would either disprove or prove his theory of him. If he didn't have fox blood, they would kill him for their safety.

"I-I don't think I have any fox blood though, I'm human," Naruto said quietly, whispering out the last part. He was turned away by his own, now he will be turned away from his favorite animal.

"Maybe, maybe not. There is only one way to find out." The black fox said kindly. He didn't know the kit's story, but he could see the pain in his sapphire eyes.

Naruto looked around, he was nervous seeing so many foxes watching him. His eyes landed back on the entrance to their village, and he took a step towards it. Soon he was standing beside the large eight-tailed fox and the tree arch, and with a deep breathe he took another step forward and vanished. His entire presence disappeared without a trace.

"Well, would you look at that. The kit has fox blood running through his veins." A dark gray fox said walking up to the black fox. He was slightly smaller than the black fox and had seven tails whipping around. His calculating silver eyes looking at the entrance.

The black fox looked on intrigued, "Indeed he does."

=Kitsune Sanctuary=

The moment Naruto stepped through the tree-like entrance, he felt a tug on his entire body. Some force beyond comprehension reached over to him and grabbed and dragged him away. It happened in an instant, but the feeling was unreal. He couldn't think of any words to really describe the feeling other than being pulled, or maybe pushed.

Naruto's eyes opened, ready to take in the new sights. The village was beautiful, there were no other words to describe it. He stood in the middle of a large grass circle with white flowers scattered around, and the same tree arch entrance behind him. Cobblestone lined the circle cutting off the lush green grass. The stone continued into another large circle. The buildings that lined the cobblestone circle looked like shrine buildings. Red-wood lining all of them with crisp white walls. Greenery seemed to be all over everything, giving the place a sense of serenity. It felt peaceful, calming to the mind. Something in Naruto's mind whispered lightly, ' _safety._ '

However, the thing that caught Naruto's interest quickly was the lack of foxes. There were humans walking around minding their own business. Perhaps humans might be stretching it slightly, these humans have fox ears on their head and tails of varying numbers and colors. ' _Who, and what are they?_ ' Naruto thought curiously.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" a hand grabbed onto Naruto's shoulder causing him to jump slightly. He turned around and saw a large tall man. Naruto looked up and was greeted with familiar electric blue slitted eyes gazing back at his own. His black shaggy hair with pearl striped gave his muscular build a sort of elegance. He was wearing a dark grey kimono that was layered with squares of black, a white shirt was underneath, and a red sash tied to his waist keeping it together. The white sandals adorning his feet complete the look. Though what caught Naruto's interest were the same eight tails swishing back and forth behind him.

"Y-yeah, umm, are you the same fox from earlier? Asked Naruto, though he was already confident the answer was going to be a yes, it was better to be positive then iffy!

"You would be correct, outside this world we take on our natural form to blend in instead of our current form you are seeing now." The large man replied warmly then continued, "You may call me Kenichi Masumi."

"Uh, nice to meet you, I'm Naruto!" Naruto smiled warmly giving off a peaceful radiance. Something around him was calming, he felt a strange feeling he hadn't felt before. It was like nothing would hurt him here, he felt safe. There wasn't a feeling like he needed to look over his shoulder and fear for his life.

"Maelstrom, a strong name," Kenichi said, chuckling slightly at the sudden change in his personality. ' _It would seem the kit is finally relaxing and letting his guard down_ ' This was good, he has already confirmed his suspicion. This kit was finally home, and with him comes my otousan.

Naruto's eyes widened to a scary length when someone finally knew what his name meant. It was a strong name, very strong! It wasn't a topping for food, it was a raging powerful name! Naruto's respect for the man grew considerably.

With Kenichi's hand still on his shoulder, they both vanished in a swirl of autumn leaves.

"Woah." Was all Naruto could say at the sudden change of scenery. He now stood in a large room with a warm mahogany flooring. The walls were an eggshell white lined with crimson colored wood. The rooms center went down a layer with a beautifully crafted table. Four ruby colored pillows surrounding it.

"Please take a seat." Kenichi gestured to the pillow while he walked over to the other side. He sat down, eyeing Naruto as he sat down in front of him. "I'll answer any questions you have, but afterward I expect you to answer mine. Do we have an understanding on that?" he asked seriously.

"That's fine I guess," Naruto answered after thinking it over for a moment. It seemed like a fair trade to him, it was an 'I pet your tails, you pet mine' kind of deal. He started to think about the questions he wanted to ask, and one stuck out to him, "Where exactly are we, and what was that weird feeling when I stepped in?"

"This place is called Kitsune Sanctuary, and as the name suggests, it's a haven for our kind. It's our home, and a place we greatly cherish. It was created and gifted to us by Kurama-sama himself, though he has never truly revealed exactly how he did it. I personally believe he didn't create this place but instead connected it from one place in time to another.

"Now on to the more complicated part of your question. That feeling you felt, was you leaving one dimension and going to another. You are no longer in the Elemental Nations. This dimension that you find yourself in is rather unique; time itself doesn't even work the same. However, that's rather complicated and would take far too long to explain right now. Did that answer satisfy you?" Kenichi smiled warmly but quickly fell when he saw the poor kit's face. ' _I don't think he understood most of that…_ '

Naruto was trying to process that information. The fact that he was in another dimension freaked him out slightly, but it seemed safe, so he let it slide. ' _What did he mean with time working differently?_ ' Naruto wondered. However, the name greatly intrigued Naruto, a sanctuary for foxes. A haven for foxes, his favorite animal, and he was allowed inside. ' _This was the greatest thing to ever happen!_ ' Naruto cheered mentally. However, that brought up more questions. "Uh, yeah… how was I able to get inside? Didn't you say I needed fox blood? Am I a fox?" Naruto asked curiously.

Kenichi hummed slightly while rubbing his chin, then responded, "I believe you have Kurama-sama sealed inside of you."

Naruto suddenly felt like he found the missing piece to his puzzle. The reason he couldn't find it to complete it was that it was never in the box, it was inside him. Through the power of deduction, he assumed Kurama was the _Kyūbi no Yōko. If he had the Kyūbi inside of him, then does that make him the Kyūbi no Yōko? '_ _It finally explains why everyone hated me and called me a demon…_ _' Naruto thought sadly._

Kenichi seeing the internal struggle going through the kit's head, he sighed softly. He understood that the outside world did not see Kurama-sama as a god, but as a demon. He also understood how humans treated their jailors as well, and from the turmoil, this kit is in, would make my assumption correct.

"Do not fret young one, you are not Kurama-sama. He is merely being held inside you." He said coolly.

"How do I get Kurama out then?" Naruto asked softly.

"There are multiple ways of getting him out, but almost all of them result in your death kit." He replied quickly making Naruto's eyes widen with that information. He saw that Naruto was about to ask the enviable question, so instead of letting him he replied himself, "We will talk about the non-fatal ways later."

Naruto nodded, he caught onto his question before he even asked. One final question came to mind, "Can I live here?" he asked hopefully, though it came out as more of a whisper. Still loud enough for the kitsune's ears to pick up. To Naruto, this place felt so safe and relaxing, he never wanted to leave.

"You have fox blood in you, this place is your home as much as it is ours." He replied, seeing the emotions swirling around in the young sapphire eyes. A foxy smile appeared on Naruto's face and tears started crawling down his whiskered cheek. He could see the relief and happiness swirling around in his eyes.

"Thank you…" Naruto said in-between sobs. He finally had a home that wouldn't scorn his existence. He could live a happy life and hopefully, make some friends.

A red rice paper sliding door on the side shot open, and a young girl that looked slightly older then himself walked in. She had scarlet red hair that went down her back, and emerald eyes. She was wearing a jet-black kimono with a grey sash loosely around her waist, and two fluffy red tails behind her. Naruto blushed slightly just looking at her, which didn't go unnoticed by Kenichi. "Tou-san! I can't believe you just left me!" she huffed angrily.

"A-Akane-chan, glad you could join us." he chuckled nervously. "No need to get angry over something like that…" Kenichi replied slightly nervous of his daughter's over excessive fury. How she can pack so much strength into her tiny body, he had yet to find out.

"It's a twenty-minute walk! Do you know how many stairs I had to climb to get here!?" the newly founded Akane growled.

"Yes." Kenichi deadpanned.

An out of place breeze soared through the room as the two kitsune stared at each other. Naruto could swear he saw a small spark of lightning shoot between them. Eventually, the young redhead looked away in a huff and stared at Naruto instead.

"Well hi there, my name is Akane Masumi," Akane said smiling happily at the blonde doing a complete one-eighty on her mood.

Naruto was slightly taken back from the sudden change of emotion. Although he was extremely excited about the possibility of making a new friend that wouldn't be told to stay away from him. Plus, she was a fox! You can't get much better than that in Naruto's opinion. "Hi, my name is Naruto!" he chirped happily.

"Do you have a family or clan name?" Akane asked curiously. This question also peeked Kenichi's interest as well, it was one of the questions he planned on asking soon anyways. Although the sad look in the boy's eyes almost made her wish she hadn't asked.

Naruto sighed sadly, "I'm an orphan, I never knew who my parents were. My caretaker called me Naruto, so that's what my name is." The idea of having a family is almost every orphan's dream. Sadly, Naruto was disliked by everyone in the village. His chance of being adopted was very slim, almost non-existent.

She walked over and sat beside Naruto and pat his back trying to comfort him. "Sorry for asking," she said softly.

"It's fine, you didn't know." He said looking up at her and smiling.

"Naruto, how old are you?" Kenichi asked.

"Four, I'll be five on October 10th," Naruto replied.

"Can you tell us about your life up to this point? I'd like to get to know you better." Kenichi asked with a fatherly smile.

Naruto stiffened slightly, then relaxed again. He didn't really like talking about anything that happened in the past, he preferred looking towards the future. He let out another soft sigh, before nodding in acceptance. He had promised to answer any of his questions if he answered his.

"The earliest I can remember is being at the orphanage. No one would give me any attention and wouldn't take care of me. They uh…" Naruto was slightly embarrassed, but pressed on, "wouldn't change me for days or weeks. Though sometimes I would wake up cleaned and in new clothes, I never knew who did it. I soon learned that crying wasn't worth the energy, so I'd just lay in bed and stay silent.

When I could finally walk around the orphanage, I would try and play with the other kids but they all refused and would walk away from me. I was very rarely allowed to go play outside with anyone or eat with the others. I was given one meal a day, sometimes they would forget though. Whenever I went to ask for food, they would call me a liar and lock me in my room.

Whenever the kids would start learning things, the caretaker would lock me in my room. I would try to ask the other kids what they learned, but they would tell me they weren't allowed to tell me. This continued until I turned four, they kicked me out of the orphanage on my birthday. I walked around for a while, but the people glared at me and called me names.

I learned that there was a lot of food in trash cans, more then I was given in the orphanage. So, I was alright for the most part, and I would sleep in trees by the park. Yesterday or I think it was yesterday, I was knocked out… you know the rest." Naruto finished wiping a few loose tears from his eyes. His short past was painful, and he disliked talking about it.

Akane was stunned, she couldn't believe humans could treat someone so poorly, a child no less. Kenichi was less shocked, he had already expected a troubled past from the kit. He had heard rumors of these, _jinchūriki_ , a human sacrifice that is treated like the entities they have sealed inside them.

"I'm sorry for bringing up such painful memories Naruto-kun, I hope you can forgive me," Kenichi said with a sad smile.

"N-no! It's okay, you didn't know, and I promised to answer your questions!" Naruto quickly replied not wanting to upset his new friends.

"Akane-chan, how about you show Naruto-kun around the compound while I go speak to the council. They will want to know about recent developments and our new arrival." He told Akane, who nodded okay. He stood up and looked back at Naruto, "You'll be staying with us unless you would rather live somewhere else."

Naruto's eyes opened wide, ' _He just offered me a place to stay!_ ' he thought happily. "Thank you, I would love to stay here with you and Akane-chan!" he excitedly replied.

Kenichi chucked lightly at his reply, "That's good to hear." He finished and walked out of the room.

"So Naru- _kun_ , follow me and I'll show you around." She said with mirth, emphasizing the kun suffix. When she saw him blush lightly, she already knew she was going to have so much fun teasing him. Oh, the possibilities are endless! She stood up, and Naruto copied her. They both walked towards the door.

=Kitsune Sanctuary, Council Chambers=

Kenichi opened the council chamber's doors and strode inside. The room was large and has a beautifully crafted walnut colored wooden circular table in the center. The table is engraved with the visage of Kurama. His nine tails each pointing to a throne type chair which lined the table. The floor is mahogany lined with crimson red-wood. The walls are a smooth stone that reached up towards the ceiling. Opposite of the entrance is a large glass window that let in a healthy amount of light. Nine banners hung on the walls symbolizing each clan of kitsune, the one in the center was of the Masumi clan, the first one created by Kurama.

The Masumi clan are known for being a jack-of-all-trades. While they are not masters in any area other clans specialize in, they are masters in kenjutsu. They have a swordsman honor and will usually not turn down a duel. Some members of this clan are known to dabble in forging weapons. While the males are relatively laid back; only getting serious when the situation absolutely demands it. The females have a natural born fury that terrified everyone. One must never underestimate a female from the Masumi clan or face a fate worse than death.

He took his seat facing his back towards the window and waited for the rest of the council members to arrive. They would all be excited to hear of our father's return, and equally interested in our new arrival. This was the first time he had heard of a human being born with fox blood, he didn't know how that would affect the kit later.

The door opened, and a tanned man walked inside. It is Masao Takeshi, fourth born of Kurama. He stood at 6'1", his dark grey hair is flat against his back, giving a royalty look. His piercing silver slitted eyes gave off a cold and calculated feeling. He is wearing a light grey kimono, with a purple sash wrapped around his waist. Eight large dark grey tails were raised off the ground as to not dirty them.

The Takeshi clan are known for being logical. They enjoyed reading and studying everything there was and storing their knowledge in the Kitsune Library. They would often send their clan members out into the world to scavenge for books, artifacts, scrolls, etc. For the most part, they don't let emotions cloud their judgment, and always try to figure out the best solution to any problems. They do enjoy the company of the Nao and Fumiko clan. Masao walked over to his seat, two down on the right from Kenichi.

Soon the door opened again and Takara Yuzuki and Natsumi Miwa gracefully walked inside. Takara Yuzuki is the seventh born of Kurama. She was 5'8" she has beautiful snow-white hair that covered her left side of her face and flowed down her chest. She has slitted ruby red eyes that have a slight haunting glow to them. Her bright white kimono hugged her hourglass figure and B-sized chest, a silver sash tied around her stomach. Her eight snow-white tails were raised up against her back.

The Yuzuki clan are known for their kind and loving nature. They enjoyed watching over everyone and taking care of young children. The members of their clan were natural born parents and raised all their children to be kind-hearted. Their love for peaceful times led to them never leaving the sanctuary.

Natsumi Miwa is the second born of Kurama. She stood at 5'10", she has light auburn hair done up in a ponytail. She had ocean blue slitted eyes that were always dancing around with amusement. She wore a burnt orange shirt with black trimming that was tight against her C-sized chest showing a bit of cleavage. She also wore a loose red jacket and charcoal black pants that hugged her hips. Her eight light auburn tails danced lightly in the air behind her.

The Miwa clan are known for being overly energetic. They were like a bottomless well of stamina, always looking for an opportunity to have fun or pull a prank on some unexpecting victims. They were physical teachers, preparing young kits for the world outside the sanctuary. It was dangerous out there, and they were more than happy to train new kits. Her clan usually helps the Takeshi clan out when gathering items from the outside world. They have a well-known rivalry with the Takeo clan, as well as a long-time friendship.

The next to follow was Eiji Takeo, Akio Hiro, and Ami Fumiko. Eiji Takeo is the eighth born of Kurama. He stood at 6'5", his dark orange hair was spiked up with his bangs growing out. His purple eyes glowed eagerly. He wore a large white jacket exposing his toned and muscular chest. White bandages wrapped angular around his torso. He also wore loose dark grey pants. His eight orange tails hovered lightly off the ground.

The Takeo clan are known for taking things to the extreme. They enjoy exercise and fighting. All their children are brought up sparing, and a little rowdy. The Takeo and Miwa clan are extremely close to one another. They often play, spar, and exercise with each other for hours on end.

Akio Hiro is the fifth born of Kurama. He stood at 5'10", he had short light brown hair and golden slitted eyes. He wore a forest green kimono with a black sash tied around his waist. He was very lean built.

The Hiro clan are known for taking care of nature. They kept the sanctuary clean, and the forests healthy. The members were calm and caring, as well as intelligent. It was not unusual to see clan members sleeping in the forest under a leafy canopy. Their clan is the most well-tuned to natural energy, and heavily influencing them.

Ami Fumiko is the sixth born to Kurama. She stands at 5'9", she had beautiful silky black hair that goes down her back and splits at her shoulders. Her crystal green slitted eyes radiate warmth and kindness. She wears a cream-colored kimono that hugs her curves showing off her B-sized chest and figure. She has three red sashes tied around her, one on her waist, stomach, and below her chest. Her eight tails almost wrap around her like a blanket.

The Fumiko clan are known for their healing prowess. Working together with the Hiro clan, they grow many herbs and create antidotes, remedies, and medicines. Some clan members are known to dabble in the art of poison crafting which while not their focus, can create some of the most toxic poisons. A game they like to play is to create a strong poison than have another member create an antidote. While most members are very kind and enjoy healing, others do come off rather cold and calculating. These members usually work well along Takeshi clan.

Soon after they entered, the last two followed. Tetsuya Nao and Keiko Mana walked in whispering amongst each other. Ken Nao is the third born to Kurama. He stands at 6', he has short light grey hair. His hair covers his left eye only showing his brown slitted eye. He wears a black kimono shirt and green pants. His eight grey tails are dragged lazily on the ground behind him.

The Nao clan are known for being strategically brilliant and lazy. Most clan members are born with photographic memories, and with their intelligence, it makes the world boring. Though they are always looking towards seeing something new and exciting. While their clan is mostly full of loners, they are known to spend time with the Takeshi, Fumiko, and Mana clans.

Keiko Mana is the ninth born to Kurama. She stands at 5'6", she has beautiful red hair with orange streaks running throughout it. Her hair falls gently down her back and slightly covering both of her violet slitted eyes. She wears a tight scarlet kimono shirt hugging her A-size chest and skin-tight dark grey pants. Her eight red tails run up her back peeking over her shoulders.

The mana clan is known for their stealth. They are calm and quiet, and rarely speak unless spoken to. You will rarely see a member of the mana clan unless they want you to see them. The day their children are born, they don't cry or make any noise. Their instincts scream quiet and calm. Though when they decide to socialize, they choose the Nao clan because they rarely move or talk.

After everyone had finally taken their seat, they all looked over to Kenichi. It was rare for a council meeting to be called so randomly, and some of the foxes have been whispering amongst each other.

"Kurama-sama has been found," Kenichi said, decided to drop the big news first. Their faces were priceless, and he almost wished he brought a camera to document them for all eternity.

"Explain," Tetsuya said keeping his eyes locked on to Kenichi.

"My daughter early in the morning was outside the sanctuary. She stumbled upon a young blonde-haired kit being dropped off by two men. The kit was injured and unconscious. According to her, one wanted to murder him while the other just wanted to leave him for dead. Luckily for the kit, they decided on the ladder.

When she told me about the kit and how he smelled like Kurama-sama, I didn't believe it. However, I wasn't going to take a chance and left with some guards and went to investigate. When he arrived at the kit's location, he was in the middle of a panic attack. When I approached him, he froze in fear. Imagine my shock when he smelt just like Kurama-sama.

I brought him to the sanctuary, he has fox blood in him. Though I believe that is because Kurama-sama was sealed inside of him, though I could be wrong. He is currently in my compound with my daughter." He finished.

"If Kurama-sama is sealed inside the boy, we should unseal Kurama-sama immediately!" Masao voiced his opinion out loud.

"While I agree with you Masao, doing so would kill the kit." Kenichi retorted.

"Is the boy fox or human?" Ami questioned.

"Both." Kenichi replied, "he has the body of a human, but the blood of a fox. However, the fox blood has already started affecting his body."

Hiro hummed at this information, "Him being here with the amount of natural energy will change him. He will become full-blooded quickly."

"When that happens, the unsealing won't kill the boy," Tetsuya said lazily.

"Can you tell us about the boy?" Natsumi asked slightly eager to learn more about this strange kid.

Kenichi sighed sadly, which didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the council. "His name is Naruto, he is four years old, and has golden spiky hair. Adorned on his cheeks are three whiskers each. He is an orphan, and his life has not been easy." Kenichi said sighing once more. He then proceeded to tell them what Naruto told him earlier of his life.

Looks of anger, disgust, and pity filled the room. Most of them didn't understand how you could treat a child like that, but Masao did. He had studied the outside world enough to understand human nature. They were cruel, filled with greed and hatred. He felt slightly guilty for immediately calling for the kid's death, but the news of Kurama being sealed inside the boy angered him.

"Maybe I should go teach this Konoha a lesson they won't ever forget!" Eiji roared angrily.

"It wouldn't be that hard to get inside their village…" Keiko droned out.

"We should learn more on this kid, perhaps sending some of the Mana clan in to search for some file and information isn't a bad idea," Masao said.

"I could have it done," Keiko said it quietly.

"Fine, it's not a bad idea. But I wouldn't be surprised if you don't find anything. The kid's an orphan, he most likely won't have much. However, we can use this opportunity to copy some of their scrolls and bring them here." Kenichi agreed.

I like the sound of that." Masao agreed almost drooling at the thought of new scrolls.

"The poor kit probably needs a mother figure, if you want I'll take him in and teach him," Takara said almost crying at the thought of a kit not having parents to love and adore them.

"Naruto has already agreed to stay with my clan, however, I know he would love some affection and tutelage," Kenichi said warmly. Though he about laughed when he saw her glare at him for taking him away already. ' _Ah, a mother's love._ ' He snickered mentally.

"Fine." Takara scoffed.

"Perhaps we should all take an effort to teach him. It's been a long time since we've received new blood in the sanctuary." Masao voiced his idea out loud.

"That's a great idea! I'll teach the kid to fight like a champ!" Eiji roared with excitement!

"No, you won't! I'll teach him!" Natsumi screamed with vigor.

"You can't even handle a fight with me! What can you do!?" Eiji laughed tauntingly.

"Last time I checked, I won our last fight!" Natsumi argued hotly.

"You cheated!" Eiji yelled.

"Did not!" Natsumi yelled back.

"Did too!" "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did not!" Natsumi and Eiji argued back and forth which was amusing to most of the council.

"Enough!" Keiko yelled angerly, which caused the entire room to go silent and look at her.

"D-did she just yell?" Ami asked almost not even believing what she just heard.

A round of nods was her answer causing a very stoic Keiko to blush slightly in embarrassment. She already knew she just made a huge mistake and would have to deal with this quickly. "It was just the wind…" Keiko said quietly. ' _Nailed it._ ' She thought victoriously. The rest of the council sweatdropped at her excuse.

"In any case, we'll leave it up to the kit if he wants to be trained. I believe he is slightly overwhelmed by everything right now." Kenichi replied after the awkward silence. "For now, let the kit adjust and learn more about the sanctuary." He finished, and with no objections, he moved on to the next matter at hand.

"Now, let's discuss what we're going to do about Konoha…" Kenichi said sharply grabbing everyone's attention.

=Masumi Clan Compound=

Akane slid open another door leading to the outside and walked out. Naruto was following closely behind her and was awed at the sight. In front of him was a large open field full of flowers with trees plopped down occasionally. A stone path in front of them led to a drop-off, which Naruto believed was the staircase Akane was talking about earlier.

However, what caught Naruto's attention were the other children playing in the flowered fields. Some were playing tag, which he had seen other children play in Konoha. Sadly, he was never allowed to join them. If he tried, they would just call him names, or their parents would toss stones at him until he left.

"This is the front to our compound," Akane said arms waving in the direction of the open field, "almost every clan home has large fields like this."

"It's amazing!" Naruto awed loudly.

"Glad you like it, wait until you see our dojo and training fields!" Akane giggled lightly at Naruto's reaction.

Naruto followed Akane closely as they walked along the wooden walkway. Naruto felt at peace walking through their garden. The chestnut wooden pathway had a small scarlet tinged fenced with large beams holding a roof. Vines wrapped themselves around the beams and fence seemingly blending in with nature.

They started approaching a rather large building following the same theme of the entire compound. ' _They really like red…_ ' Naruto thought. The outside of the building was around the size of a small mansion and could probably hold over two hundred people. The same greenery covered the entire building. Although you could tell the caretakers allowed nature to keep a hold on its territory, you could see the buildings were all taken care of as well.

Naruto continued walking with Akane into the building. Naruto was in awe once more at the sight before him, never had he ever seen a dojo as unique as this one. Though that might be because he had never actually seen a dojo, that was a detail he was willing to look over for now. The sides of the building were lined with benches to watch sparing or other activities. The middle of the room was sunken in, so the viewers could get a bird's eye view of the arena.

The arena itself was its own little ecosystem. A small river cut the grassy arena diagonally, there are large mossy stone spikes sticking up to give cover. Varying tree sizes are also scattered around, some broken laying across the river creating a natural bridge. Small rays of light shined through multiple skylights placed randomly around the roof to give a tree canopy vibe. Overall, Naruto found the sight incredible.

"This is where we usually do team spars. They are exciting to watch and can get slightly destructive." Akane commented.

"Imagine the game of hide and seek you could play in there…" the blonde boy drooled.

"I-I guess you could probably play a good game of hide and seek." Akane wryly said.

Naruto looked over to Akane and asked, "So where to now?"

"I've already shown you most of the compound, I" Akane started, but cut off as she was tackled to the ground.

"Akane-chan! I've been looking everywhere for you!" A girl shouted.

She looked like Akane, but her hair is a much darker shade of red. Her hair went down to her shoulders and has a long ponytail with a golden bell holding it in place. It helped shape her small round face and dark forest green eyes, though Naruto only saw her face for a few seconds before it was buried in Akane's chest. She wore a light red sleeveless shirt with a small black skirt, oddly, she was also barefoot. ' _Then again, this is probably her home…_ ' Naruto considered.

Akane tried prying the girl from her chest but failed miserably. Shaking her head, "Aki, what do you need?" she sighed.

"I was hoping you could help me with my kenjutsu!" the newly founded Aki chirped excitedly before turning her gaze to Naruto, "Who's the blondie?" she asked.

"I can't right now, I'm showing said blondie around the compound right now," Akane answered.

A tick mark popped up on Naruto's forehead, "I have a name you know!" he said slightly annoyed.

After a few seconds of silence, "Well, what's your name blondie?" Aki asked.

Naruto sweatdropped, "My name is Naruto."

"Fishcake?" Aki's eyebrow raised at the silly name. ' _Who would name someone after a ramen topping?_ ' she wondered.

"It means Maelstrom! Mael! Strom!" Naruto shouted, punctuating his name.

"Whatever you say blonde fishcake." She cackled at his irritated face.

Naruto collapsed onto his knees and started pouting, mumbling stuff about 'not being named after a ramen topping', and 'it's a powerful name'. Akane and Aki sweatdropped.

"I guess I'll go spar with Danno-kun, later Akane-chan!" she called out as she ran from the dojo.

Akane looked over at the still pouting blonde, "You okay?" she asked warily.

"It means maelstrom… it's powerful…" Naruto mumbled.

"I'm sure it is Naruto-kun, really powerful," Akane said soothingly.

His eyes met hers, "You mean it?" he asked softly.

"Of course, I do," Akane replied warmly.

He jumped up like nothing just happened, "So, where to next?"

Akane raised her hand to her chin and took up a thoughtful expression before finally deciding on something, "I guess we can go wait back at the house for tou-san to come back from talking to the council." She replied.

=Nighttime, Masumi Clan Compound=

Naruto and Akane sat in the living room talking for a few hours while playing a card game called war. It was a game completely based on luck, no skill involved, and somehow, someway, Naruto won every single game. This frustrated Akane a bit but didn't let it show, they were just playing this to pass the time.

It was around dinner time when the sliding door opened, and Kenichi walked in. He smiled seeing Akane play with the young kit, hopefully, they will have a good friendship. He coughed lightly grabbing both their attention, "Akane-chan, Naruto-kun, dinner will be served shortly." He said.

"Gotcha tou-san, how did the meeting go?" Akane asked curiously. Naruto was also interested in the meeting since he assumed it had something to do with him.

"It went as expected, I'll discuss it with both of you tomorrow." He replied vaguely.

Akane nodded absently. Naruto followed suit, but he was miffed at not being told now.

Kenichi walked out of the room shutting the door behind him leaving Akane and Naruto to their own devices once again.

"You got any interest in learning kenjutsu?" Akane asked flipping over a king of spades.

"What's kenjutsu exactly?" Naruto answered with a question while flipping over an ace of hearts taking the king.

A tick mark popped up on Akane's head, ' _what type of luck does this damn blondie have!_ ' she thought angrily. She sighed in annoyance, "Kenjutsu is the art of using a sword, it's what my clan specializes in. Anyone can swing a sword around, but someone who understands the flow and respects the art can be truly devastating." She finished flipping over the ace of clubs, smiling in victory until Naruto flipped over the ace of diamonds. Signaling the start of a war, Naruto and Akane placed down three cards face down. The moment of truth, she flipped over a jack of spades, happy until she saw him flip over a king of diamonds. He also just happened to win the last ace in that batch.

"Okay! That's it! You're cheating somehow!" Akane slammed her hands down on the table, "I don't know how you're doing it, but no one is that lucky!" her eye twitched dangerously.

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the implication, "I don't cheat, you even said it was impossible to cheat."

"W-well, I know what I said, but I still don't like it." She mumbled angrily.

Naruto sweatdropped, ' _Note to self, she doesn't like losing…_ ' he thought.

"Did you want to play a different game?" he asked cautiously.

"No, maybe later. Let's just go eat already, dinner should be done, or finishing in a bit." She sighed, "Sorry for blowing up at you."

"It's not a problem dattebayo!" he exclaimed.

"…Dattebayo?" she asked warily.

"Don't question it. I don't even understand it." Naruto stated waving his hand dismissively.

"Okay…" she replied eyeing him weirdly, confusion evident in her eyes.

They walked out of the living room and down a long hallway until they arrived in front of a spacious room. The room has a massive wooden rectangular table. With a generously sized feast on it that made Naruto's mouth water. There is a rotisserie style chicken dismembered ready for the taking, steamed broccoli, steamed white rice, and bread rolls. He couldn't remember the last time he had a meal like this, in his short life, he can't remember ever having an actual meal.

Naruto quickly moved over to the table and took a seat. His eyes were stars that radiated excitement and hunger, his mouth hung open with a little drool forming at the corner. Somehow, he managed to miss the others sitting at the table with him looking at him with curiosity.

"Hey, fishcake!" Aki said mischievously.

That snapped Naruto out of his food fantasies. His eyes immediately darted to the familiar vixen, eyes lit with a fire. "It means maelstrom!" he shouted with as much passion as he could muster.

Now Naruto finally took the time to look at everyone sitting around the table. It wasn't just Kenichi and Akane, it seemed to be the entire clan. Loads of people varying in ages were gathered around the table prepared to eat but were staring wholeheartedly at Naruto. Perhaps it was his outburst, or maybe it was the fact he was new that drew their attention.

"Hello everyone, today we celebrate the return of Kurama-sama with a grand feast!" Kenichi stated loudly. The people gathered around the table whispered amongst each other. "We also welcome a new member of the sanctuary, Naruto! Please make him feel welcomed." He finished, looking over at Naruto.

Naruto once more felt all the eyes on him, guessing that he was supposed to say something, he spoke up. "Um, hello everyone. I'm Naruto, nice to meet you!"

After a few murmurs, Kenichi raised his hand into the air gathering everyone's attention once more. "Naruto will be staying with us for the time being, but we can discuss this all later. For now, let's eat and enjoy ourselves!" he cheered.

Naruto looked around to see everyone grabbing plates and passing them around taking what they wanted. This was new to Naruto, even in the orphanage it was, take what you can get before it was all gone. Naruto was brought out of his musing when he was passed a basket of rolls from Akane. He grabbed the basket and looked at all the bread, he took three rolls and placed them on his plate then passed the basket off. This continued for the rest of the food, and soon Naruto had a full plate of delicious food.

He looked around to see everyone eating and chatting with each other happily, it brought a small smile to his face. ' _Is this what a family is?_ ' Naruto puzzled. He looked over at Akane who was chatting with Aki and another boy while eating. Looking back at his own food, he started eating at a more subdued pace than usual. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of everyone, but mostly, he wanted to savior an actual meal for once. No more rotten meat. No more spoiled milk. No more moldy bread.

The food was rather simple and nothing special to anyone around the table, but to Naruto, it could have been a five-star meal at a fancy restaurant. Every bite was delicious, savoring the spices. A tear slowly crept down his face with a slight sob which gained the attention of the table. For once in Naruto's short life, he was happy. Today had been the best day he had ever had.

"Are you okay Naruto?" Akane whispered beside him.

Not trusting his voice, he just nodded yes and continued to shake slightly.

"Are you sure fishcake?" Aki asked from the sidelines. Getting the same response from Naruto, she looked over to the creator of the meal. "Hey Riku, your meal was apparently so good it brought him to tears! Good job!" she laughed getting a thumbs-up from said man.

"My food is always good, but thanks for the compliment!" Riku chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, dear." A woman sitting beside him said sarcastically.

The banter continued until the meal was finished. Naruto nudged Akane, "Could you show me where my room is?"

Akane nodded and stood up, "Tou-san, Naruto wants to go to his room." She told her father.

Kenichi nodded his head in acceptance. Naruto and Akane left the room together heading towards the sleeping quarters, shutting the sliding door behind them. After a few minutes, one of the clansmen spoke up. "So, who is the boy?"

This question gathered the attention of everyone sitting around the table. They were all curious about the boy, especially after he broke down slightly from eating. Kenichi just sighed and began telling them all about the boy.

=Naruto and Akane, Masumi Clan Compound=

Naruto and Akane arrived in front of a door. It slid open revealing and small furnished bedroom. The walls are the same as every other room, white with a red border. A full-size bed was pushed up against the corner, a nightstand on the side with a lamp. On the other side of the room are a closet and dresser.

"This will be your room for as long as you want," Akane said breaking the silence.

"Thank you," Naruto said softly.

"You want to talk about it?" Akane asked.

Naruto's eyes shifted over to Akane before sighing. "I-I guess." He mumbled. He walked over to the bed and sat down, Akane followed doing the same.

"This whole place feels like a dream. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up in a tree at the park and be alone again." Naruto said shakily.

Akane listened silently. "I've never been treated well. I would have to fight for food but would usually be left with scraps. If I sat with others, I was glared at. Yet, today I've been treated like something other than a monster. I've made friends, been accepted for me, been given food and a home. It just feels like a dream." He finished with tears falling down his whiskered cheeks.

"This isn't a dream Naruto, for now, and ever you are home. Though I've only known you for a day, I can already tell we're going to be best friends." Akane said warmly, smiling.

Naruto wrapped her in a hug and cried silently which Akane returned. A few minutes passed before his shaking finally stopped and Naruto fell asleep. Akane rolled him on to his back, head laying on the pillow before standing up. Making her way out of the room she gave a sad smile before sliding the door shut leaving Naruto alone.

=Dining Room, Masumi Clan Compound=

"This is ridiculous! How could they treat a kit like that!" a clansman roared.

"And they have the nerve to call us monsters?!" a clanswoman shouted, getting nods of agreements from the others.

The door to the dining room slid open revealing a saddened Akane. She walked back over to Aki and took a seat beside her again. Noticing all the eyes on her, she asked what happened.

"Where's Naruto?" Kenichi asked what everyone else was thinking.

"He fell asleep crying hoping this wasn't a dream. He continued to say that he had never been treated so kindly, been given food or a home before. After a while of crying, he must have tired himself out." She smiled sadly.

Kenichi sighed, "I hope everyone here will treat him well. But don't give him pity, Kami knows I wouldn't want it. Just treat the kit like someone his age." He said sternly.

Getting nods of agreement, the clan members stood up and started filing out of the room. Everyone's mood was soured by what Kenichi said, some mumbling poor choice words about Konoha. When the room finally cleared out leaving Akane and Kenichi alone, he spoke.

"I hope you'll continue to spend time with him, kit," Kenichi stated.

"Tou-san, he's going to be fun to be around. He saw our dojo, and his first thoughts were about how awesome hide and seek would be. We're going to get along just fine, and the other kids will love him." She and Kenichi chuckled.

"Things are going to start changing, I feel like we were just pulled into something big. Whatever it is, I can only hope we're ready for it." Kenichi said cryptically.

Akane could only nod.

* * *

A/N - In this story, Naruto has not met the third Hokage. He was never given his mother's maiden name, meaning it's just Naruto until he discovers it for himself.

Thank you for reading the first chapter of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you decide to come back for chapter two when I finally release it.

If you got any questions, please type them in with your reviews, and next chapter I'll try to answer some!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N - Hello everyone! Welcome back to another installment of Kitsune Sanctuary! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I put a lot of care into it, but I imagine I still managed to make some grammar mistakes. Wouldn't be the first time, but like the last chapter if I find anything I'll update it. Can't have my baby being all grammatically incorrect now can I?

I would also like to thank everyone to reviewed my last chapter, it made me happy and I swear at one point I was probably radiating it. Just a massive golden aura of happiness surrounding my entire body. That's a scary thought...

=Reviews=

 **Desk Vampire** \- Thank you, I hope you continue to come back and read more!

 **Thor94** \- I haven't made any plans for him to join the shinobi ranks.

 **FCY Warrior** \- Thank you so much for the review, and I'm glad you're so eager to read more. I hope I can live up to your expectations and fulfill them!

 **A.D. Sargent** \- You never know, but I'm glad I got your curiosity peeked

 **Dieblumelacht** \- Thank you, and don't worry!

 **Kaizon** \- I hope I can live up to your expectations! This story means a lot to me, so I hope I can deliver!

 **Shapeshifter340** \- Thanks for the review!

 **Ash0011** \- Glad you're enjoying it.

 **ThraintarIronshield** \- Naruto will be slightly different but I plan on keeping most of his personalty and quirks. I don't want Naruto to just be an OC that shares his name and appearance. I want this to be Naruto, and all is awesome glory. I don't plan on making Naruto OP either, it ruins the story. He can be really strong later, he will have to work hard to be powerful.

 **Sam Stewart** \- I appreciate the praise, but there are a lot of great stories out there that far exceed mine. Either way, thank you for the review and hope you continue to read more.

 **TigrezzTail** \- Glad you're loving it!

Please enjoy the story everyone!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

Updated - 4/20/2018

A small grammatical error was pointed out to me, which I greatly appreciate! You know who you are.

* * *

=Konohagakure=

Naruto's sapphire eyes fluttered open lazily greeting the eerie orange tinted sky. His head rolled over to his side looking at the empty alleyway; he recognized this area from the times he would run to escape the crazed villagers. Tall oaken fence lined the alleyway, leaving the area looking rather bland for Naruto's taste. Making his way to his feet, he started wandering Konoha like he usually did.

After wandering for what felt like close to an hour, Naruto started to notice things that were off about his home village. For one, everything was shaded in the same eerie orange tint the sky gave off. The next issue that grabbed Naruto's attention was the fact he hadn't seen or heard anyone or anything. No shinobi jumping rooftop to rooftop, villagers chatting amongst each other. It was silent, and made the village feel abandoned.

When he finally reached one of the busiest shopping districts in Konoha, he had expected it to be full of the same cold villagers going about their business. Yet to his surprise, it was just as empty as every other place. He took the time to step inside a few of the shops, but every shop was cold and empty. There was no merchandise in any of the shops, it was as everyone decided to get up and move at the same time.

' _Where is everybody?_ ' Naruto thought curiously. To Naruto's surprise he finally saw someone, a young girl around his age with bright red hair turning a corner. Naruto immediately tried to call out for her, but nothing came out, as if something was blocking his vocal cords. Shaking his head, he charged after her to figure things out. However, when he reached the corner she turned on it was just as empty as every other street.

For a while he continued to wander around Konoha before finding himself standing in front of his home, the park he had claimed as his own sleeping quarters. To Naruto's surprise, he found his target, the red-haired girl swinging with a spikey blond hair boy. Naruto had seen a lot of kids, but this was the first time Naruto had ever seen them.

The red-haired girl had a round face like his own with bright red hair naturally framing her face that went down to her shoulder blades. She has beautiful violet eyes and wore a short-sleeved kimono-style yellow blouse with a black embroidered border, held together with a black obi, a dark short skirt with black stockings, and brown sandals. ' _Wow, she's pretty…_ ' Naruto thought.

The spikey blond-haired boy that was talking to the girl threw Naruto for a loop, it was like staring at a mirror, but not quite. His face was more angular then his and was missing his whiskers, his hair wasn't as spikey and had jaw length bangs. However, his eyes were the same as his, the same familiar sapphire blue he would look at in the mirror back at the orphanage. He wore a nice white hoody with green trimmings, dark colored leggings with sandals. ' _I wonder who they are…_ ' Naruto puzzled.

Naruto finally brought up the courage after eyeing them for a while and started walking towards them. Again, he tried to call out to them but got the same result. Just as he was getting close enough to reach out to them, they both turned and met his eyes with their own. Their eyes showed something Naruto couldn't really place, it wasn't the same hatred or disgust he was used to. It was like the eyes he would see a sibling or parent give to their family members. They both smiled at him and stood to greet him, but before they could something strange happened.

The ground underneath Naruto gave way, shattering like glass. He fell slowly, unnaturally slow into the abyss beneath him. The darkness very slowly started to creep up and engulf him. That eerie orange tinted sky mocked him as the world around him became darker and darker. Though to Naruto's surprise, two heads were watching him fall. Their faces were full of shock, and what he believed was worry. As the darkness was about to completely swallow him, he heard both call out, "Naruto!"

=Naruto's Room, Masumi Clan Compound=

Naruto sat up quickly panting heavily from his vivid dream. He could still feel the dirt on his feet, the wind on his face, and the eeriness the entire area gave him. Multiple questions were peeking his mind, however, the same question he remembered asking himself earlier stuck, ' _Who were they?_ '

He rubbed his eyes tiredly then stretched his arms towards the ceiling. Moving over to the side of the bed, he let his feet dangle off the edge. He took the time to examine his new room, last night he wasn't in the right mind set to do it. It is a simple room, it has a walnut colored full-size bed with white fluffy pillows and red silky sheets. A walnut colored nightstand with a small lamp sitting on top of it, a dresser following the same pattern on the opposite side of him.

Leaping out of bed, he made his way to the dresser curious if it had any clothes inside. Sliding one of the drawers open, shockingly there was a few sets of clothing for him with a note that stated, ' _For Naruto_ '. He reached in and pulled out one set taking it over to the bed. It was a simple red short-sleeved shirt with beige shorts.

He looked around the room and saw another door in his room, walking over he opened it to reveal a small bathroom. The flooring was a sleek marble that contrasted the blood red walls. There was a simple white toilet, a countertop with a sink and large mirror that was a bit to high for him to reach, and a bathtub.

Deciding to clean himself up, he shed his clothes and relieved himself before turning on the water. Much to his surprise and pleasure, the water was still warm. He usually only got cold water, which was painful during winter. Shaking his head, he jumped into the bath water and relaxed. A small bottle of clear scentless soap got his attention, he wasn't ever given soap back at the orphanage. Scrubbing away all the grime from his body he felt like he dropped some weight. His hair felt softer then it had ever felt before, but somehow retained his awesome spikiness.

Getting out of the dirty soapy water, he drained the tub and went over to the counter. Looking about, he spotted the object he was looking for, a walnut colored stepping stool. Pulling it from under the counter he stepped up and investigated his own reflection. The same blue eyes, golden spikey hair, and whisker adorned cheeks he had seen a few months prior. ' _Nothing has changed._ '

Shaking his head, he looked over to the toothbrush and toothpaste, the same note he had found beside his clothes earlier was there. Shrugging his shoulders, he got to brushing his teeth, two minutes later he spit into the sink and rinsed his mouth with water. A pleasant minty taste remained making Naruto smile. Shivering slightly, he noticed he hadn't dried off yet. Looking back towards the bathtub was a pearl white towel. Jumping off the stool, he quickly grabbed the towel and dried himself off.

Back in the room he went over to the bed and slipped on his new clothes. Naruto felt like he was in heaven, he felt so refreshed, clean, and peaceful. Ever since he came here yesterday he has felt safe, it was a strange feeling.

Walking out of his room he started to make his way towards the dining room hoping to find Akane again. He was hopeful that she would want to go play with him, that legendary hide and seek game spoke to him yesterday. He imagined himself standing victoriously as he won the game, everyone praising him as the master of all things hide and seek. Naruto's eyes turned to stars as he lost himself in his fantasy.

"Hey kid, don't mean to interrupt whatever is going through your head but your drooling…" a male voice said while waving his hand in front of his face.

Naruto quickly shook his head blushing with embarrassment. Wiping the drool from his mouth he looked at the familiar man who called out to him. The man is as tall as Kenichi, has jet-black hair with silver highlights, dark silver slitted eyes that shouted out confidence. He wore a black kimono that matched his hair, nine tails design is embroidered into it, and his five black and silver tails followed him lazily.

"Uh, sorry about that." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, still embarrassed about being caught in his amazingly realistic fantasy.

"Not a problem kid, just didn't want you running into a wall." The man chuckled heartily.

"Thanks, I'm Naruto by the way!" Naruto introduced himself.

"I'm fully aware of who you are kid, names Riku Masumi." The newly founded Riku stated.

It clicked in Naruto's head where he knew the guy from, "You're the one who made dinner last night!" Naruto exclaimed, mouth watering by just remembering his meal.

"I am, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. It's hard not to though, all my food is incredible after all." Riku stated confidently, patting himself on the back. "Oh, before I forget your breakfast is in the dining room, Akane and the other kids are waiting for you." He said thoughtfully.

"Gotcha!" Naruto exclaimed taking off towards the dining room.

Riku watched the kid run and smiled, from what he had been told of the kid's life, it was good to see a smile. He could see in the kid's eyes though, fear. He figured the kid was just scared that we would just randomly toss him aside. Shaking his head, he walked over to his room and opened it, "Foxy, your favorite, incredible husband is back!" he said in a sing-song voice.

He received a large thump on the head from his wife before she said, "When did you become so narcissistic?" The woman sighed and closed their bedroom door. ' _He's lucky I love him so much…_ ' the women thought.

=Dining Room, Masumi Clan Compound=

Akane was sitting in the dining room slowly eating her breakfast waiting for Naruto to arrive. ' _If he doesn't come soon, I'm going to have to go wake him up…_ ' she thought, sighing.

"What's wrong Akane-chan, you keep sighing and watching the door. Oh, are you waiting on our new blond fishcake to pop up?" Aki said, sitting beside her wiggling her eyebrows. Her answer was a light bop on the head. "Ow…" Aki mumbled.

The door suddenly slid open revealing Naruto in his new attire, which made him look adorable! Naruto made eye contact with Akane before he smiled foxily and waved at her. "Morning Akane-chan, Aki, and…" Naruto started before drifting off, not recognizing the boy sitting beside Aki.

The boy in question decided to introduce himself, "Yo, It's Danno." He looked like he was slightly taller then Akane, Aki, and Naruto. His hair is short and jet-black with crimson red streaks running through it. His greenish-silver slitted eyes had a piercing lazy feel too them. He wore a blood red long-sleeved shirt with black baggy leggings. He has one jet-black tail resting in his lap.

"Hello, I'm Naruto!" the fishcake said cheerfully.

"Good morning Naru-kun/fishcake!" Akane and Aki said at the same time, though one of them caused Naruto's eye to twitch violently.

Naruto made his way over to the table and sat down beside Akane since it was the only one with food laid out before it. The meal was a simple traditional Japanese breakfast, grilled fish with miso soup, steamed vegetables and a small green salad with a glass of juice. The smell was angelic, and almost made Naruto dive right in.

Looking at his food tactically, he made a game plan. He would eat the grilled fish and miso soup at the same time maximizing flavor, then proceed to devour the steamed vegetables, ending on his small salad. It was a sound plan, a plan worthy of Naruto's genius. It didn't take long for his plan to take effect, as everything before him was consumed with passion. The witnesses stared in horror as everything was eaten within a few minutes. To them, it was like watching a solider step into a battlefield and decimate the opposing forces. Truly, the grilled fish never stood a chance.

Naruto leaned back in his chair rubbing his stomach happily, it was another five-star meal in his opinion. He felt eyes staring at him, so he turned his head to meet them. Akane, Aki, and Danno were staring at him in disbelief. "W-what?" Naruto stuttered.

"It's nothing, y-you just ate faster then we expected…" Akane said warily.

"It just smelled so good, I couldn't help myself!" Naruto defended.

"The food taste better when you eat it slow though fishcake." Aki said matter-of-factly.

"Anyways, Naru-kun, want to hang out with us today?" Akane asked, though she had a feeling he would even if she didn't ask.

"Of course!" Naruto shouted immediately.

"Goody!" Akane chirped, "we're planning on walking through town, then hanging out with a few of our friends."

Naruto talked with all three of them while they finished their own breakfast. He learned that Danno and Aki are kenjutsu sparring partners, though they heavily enjoy sparring Akane because she is labeled as a kenjutsu prodigy. They asked him if he had any interest in learning kenjutsu as well, which he answered yes after learning more about it. For some odd reason, Akane cheered at his response.

After finishing breakfast, they all made their way out of the dining room in a group. At the door leading out of the building, they all put on sandals, and luckily had a pair for Naruto as well. Danno slid the front door open and started walking towards the entrance to the compound, Aki was by his side walking silently. Naruto and Akane were about to follow but were stopped by Kenichi.

"Good morning Akane-chan, Naruto-kun." Kenichi greeted, smiling at both.

"Hello tou-san/Kenichi" Akane and Naruto said cheerfully, though Akane was more subdued.

"Where are you four off to?" Kenichi asked. They looked like they were leaving the compound, which meant Naruto was also leaving with them. It would be his first time wandering the town and would most likely gain a lot of attention from the crowds. It's not every day you see a new face.

"We're going to show Naruto around town, then go meet up with the others at the creek." Akane stated, though she caught what her father was worried about. Naruto may become slightly popular being a new-blood, but she would protect him.

"Alright, have fun you two." Kenichi said before walking towards his office, leaving Akane and Naruto to themselves.

"Okay, let's catch up with Danno-chan and Aki-chan." Akane said, getting a nod in return from Naruto.

=Kitsune Sanctuary=

Naruto was sitting down panting; Akane, Aki, and Danno were standing around him, smirking gleefully. Once they exited the compound they were faced with one of the greatest enemies of the Masumi clan. An enemy who has defeated all at least once, it was the dreaded stairs that led from the town, to the compound.

It wasn't a straight shot down, it weaved through the forest and terrain. It's a twenty-minute walk if you're not running down, but if you've experienced the stairs, then running them is easier. When they told Naruto, they would walk the path to make sure Naruto got use to it, he said he was fine and would run with them.

After debating it with a very stubborn Naruto, they finally relented and started running the path. It was halfway through that Naruto started to regret his choice, it didn't just go down, it also went up! Though, while Naruto was trying to keep with his new friends, he did take in the sights. The forest was beautiful and had a magical feeling. He did have to wonder though, why they built their compound on a mountain! Were they trying to discourage guests from visiting?!

Finally reaching the bottom, they were laughing when Naruto collapsed, which Naruto returned a playful glare and started pouting. They should have told him it wasn't just downhill, he might have walked it instead. Though deep down, he knew he wouldn't have relented and still said he could run it.

"I admit fishcake, most can't run the entire trail their first time. Call me impressed, you got a lot of stamina!" Aki complimented, honestly impressed. She had a fun, yet slightly devious idea to introduce him to the Miwa clan, they would love a new toy to play with. She started chucking evilly, causing Akane and Danno to take a step away from her.

Danno nodded in agreement but was slightly worried for his new friend at Aki's evil chuckle. She only chuckles evilly when she is planning a prank, or the downfall of someone else. He lowered his head and prayed gently for Naruto's safety.

Akane eyed Aki suspiciously before turning back to Naruto who was getting back up, shooting a glare at Aki mumbling about maelstroms again. Coughing into her hand to grab everyone's attention, she asked Naruto, "Okay, any place you want to see?"

Naruto wavering his small glare at Aki, turned to Akane and replied with his own question, "Not really, oh, is there a park?"

"Yup! It's actually by the creek we'll be going to later!" Akane chirped happily.

Naruto nodded his head and they started walking the cobblestone path into the town. He had seen the town partially when he first appeared from the tree portal, but he was quickly pulled away into the Masumi compound. The first few steps into the town were incredible.

The town is so different compared to what Naruto had seen in Konoha. The pathways throughout the town were stone instead of dirt, this made the entire town look cleaner then Konoha ever could. Nature seemed to have a firm grasp on everything in this town, vibrant green vines with small pink flowers latched onto buildings. Trees, grass, and flowers seemed to fill in every spot that didn't have a building.

The buildings for the most part seemed to follow a color design of red lining with white walls. The shops had large glass windows with displays of merchandise inside. There are what appeared to be town homes plopped occasionally. Another interesting thing that caught Naruto's attention, a crystal-clear river flowed throughout the town. The river was full of koi fish of different colors that caught Naruto's attention as he was crossing over the river on a stone bridge.

One other thing that caught Naruto's attention was the people who lived here. The people seemed to have a friendlier vibe compared to Konoha, but what caught his attention is almost everyone wore a kimono. It felt like he was walking in a town full of royalty which made him slightly uncomfortable. Another thing he noticed is almost everyone had one or two tails, even the adults. He had assumed that as you got older you got more tails.

"Akane-chan, why does everyone have a different number of tails?" Naruto asked while looking at the other kitsune walking amongst the town.

Akane glanced over at Naruto to see him staring at everyone else while walking beside them. ' _He must have noticed the difference…_ ' Akane thought before thinking over her answer. "There are nine major clans in the sanctuary that were blessed by Kurama-jiji, they were the sons and daughters to him. If you are born from those clans, you were gifted with the traits of him. Everyone else that wasn't, are just normal foxes manipulated by nature energy." Akane stated as clearly as she could, but sadly, like her father sweatdropped when it looked like he didn't understand it to well.

Naruto thought over her answer, "So, clans get more power because of Kurama while the others are just normal foxes for the most part."

"In a simplified way, that's correct." Akane replied.

"Though don't underestimate us kitsune fishcake! The kitsune around here still got their traits, some even train hard enough to reach their second tail!" Aki said fiercely.

"I don't think he was underestimating them Aki-chan…" Danno trailed off.

The conversation carried on for a while as they walked the town. Akane and Aki showed Naruto some of their favorite stores, which for the most part were clothing stores. Some are full of elegant kimonos, and others are filled with what Naruto considered normal everyday clothes.

The sun finally reached the middle of the sky indicating it was noon, and with a mighty rumble in Naruto and Aki's stomach, it is also lunch time. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly while Aki blushed. This causes both Akane and Danno to laugh before their stomachs also growled at them.

"Hmm, what to do for lunch…" Akane thought out loud.

"Barbeque!" Aki shouted.

"Sushi?" Danno asked.

All three of them turned to Naruto, his eyes are glazed over as he was drooling. They gave him a questioning look before following his eyes over to a small food bar. Their eyes landed on the only ramen bar in the entire town, it wasn't the most popular dish in the sanctuary, but people still enjoyed a little variety in their life.

"What is that?" Naruto said dreamily. The smell was intoxicating, it was like some part of him craved whatever it was.

"That would be Saku's ramen bar." Akane said giggling at Naruto's face.

"I want ramen!" Naruto said, his eyes were glowing with determination. There was no one in the world that would deny him whatever it was. The others would accept their defeat and go with his suggestion.

Akane looked at the others who just shrugged, seemed like ramen had one today's lunch. They walked over to the bar and took a seat, Naruto on her left, Aki on her right; Danno sat beside Aki and the wall. They had only come here a few times, it was never anything special, but it was still good.

A woman walked over to the counter and got out a pad and pen to take their orders. She has long caramel-brown hair that framed her face with bright brown slitted eyes. She wore a forest-green long-sleeved shirt with a white apron over it covering her B-sized bust. The number of tails she has was hidden out of view from the counter.

"Hello, what can I get you guys today?" a woman said standing in front of them.

"I'll take a beef ramen." Aki answered.

"Shrimp ramen over here." Danno followed.

"Chicken for me Saku-san." Akane replied.

The woman looked over at the final customer who was looking at the menu sharply. His eyes looked over it a couple time before he placed it down and looked right at her. Utmost seriousness in his eyes which made her raise an eyebrow.

Naruto was at a loss, he didn't know what to get. He considered getting chicken ramen, but something told him that was the wrong one for him. Perhaps he should go for the beef ramen, but once more it just wasn't calling to him. He wasn't craving shrimp, so that was waved off. At that moment, one flavor of ramen called out to him. Instinct was driving him at this point, like a part of him called out to it. He put the menu down and looked at the chef, "I'll take a bowl of Miso ramen." Naruto stated with the most serious voice his four-year body could muster.

"Alright, food will be out soon." She said after writing down their orders and heading back to the kitchen.

It didn't take long, soon the ramen was placed in front of them. The bowls of ramen had a lazy stream of steam rising then being carried off by the light breeze. They each grabbed their chop-sticks and grabbed some noodles and ate them. Unknowingly to Akane, Aki, and Danno; they had just released a monster.

The aura around Naruto turned to absolute happiness, his eyes turned to stars. The three of them stared at Naruto with a raised eyebrow before they recognized his face from breakfast. A brief flash of horror dawned on their faces, the ramen stood no chance. Though, the most terrifying thing about Naruto is it was more intense then breakfast.

It was over in a minute; the bowl was wiped clean. There was nothing left of the ramen, it looked like there had never been food in it. They sighed, at least it was over and went to eat their own lunch before they heard him say, "Another bowl please!"

Nine bowls later the three were staring at Naruto with fear and fascination as he continued to scarf down each bowl as fast as the last. One thought coursed through their heads, ' _Where does it all go?_ ' They could see he was about to ask for an eleventh bowl, but Akane stepped in quickly. She couldn't afford to let this continue, literally.

"N-Naruto, I think you've had enough." She said stuttered fearfully but pulled through with confidence.

Naruto looked over at the ten-empty bowls, then over to Akane before nodding in acceptance. He rubbed his stomach happily, completely satisfied. Every meal he had ever had would never compare to this meal today. This was a five-star meal.

Akane, Aki, and Danno payed a very happy woman who told them to come again, especially Naruto who she was eyeing like a slab of prime meat. Akane's wallet had taken a major blow and sighed in defeat. Aki and Danno were looking at her pitifully, then glanced at Naruto who looked confused.

Soon after they continued their tour of the village showing Naruto a few other shops and refusing to go near any more restaurants in fear of Naruto's questionable appetite. This went on for the next two hours before they finally started heading over to the creek.

=Sen Park, Kitsune Sanctuary=

The park wasn't exactly what Naruto had pictured. He had expected a swing-set, monkey bars, things to climb up on. This was a little over the top, even for him. Sure, there are swings tied onto tree branches. However, there was a giant obstacle course that weaved through the trees; going through the leafy canopy far above. The creek sparkled with the rays of light passing through the leafy canopy, it is full of colorful koi fish that led back towards town.

Naruto took note of the children running through the park playing with each other, some running through the obstacle course. Children in both fox and human form were curled up sleeping under the rays of light. Others were swimming in the creek splashing each other. A small smile creeped onto Naruto's face. ' _This looks like fun!_ ' he thought happily.

"Akane!" A loud voice came from Naruto's side.

He looked over to see a girl who looked a few years older than himself running at them at crazed speeds. She has auburn hair done up in a pony tail, ocean blue slitted eyes that showed limitless energy. She wore a tight burnt orange shirt with black elastic shorts, white shoes that were strange to Naruto, two auburn tails rushed back and forth behind her.

"Here we go again…" Akane sighed dramatically beside him. "Hello Natsuko." She waved at the energetic girl.

"What took you so long to get here! Isamu has been driving me insane!" Natsuko screamed while pointing at Akane with displeasure. She wasn't truly angry with her, just annoyed at her tardiness.

"I was showing my new friend Naruto here around town today." Akane replied, gesturing to Naruto who was standing beside her.

The girl looked over at the blond, then back at Akane, then back to Naruto. She got into a thinking pose and started humming to herself while mumbling things. A glimmer of light shined in her eyes before she pointed at Naruto dramatically, "Who are you?" she asked causing the group to face-fault into the ground.

"She just told you! I'm Naruto!" Naruto shouted.

"Oh." Natsuko replied simply. She got back into a thinking pose and stared at him for a few more seconds as if she was inspecting him. "Yup, you'll do." She hummed lightly.

"What'll do?" Naruto inquired, eyeing the new girl back. She continued to stare at him much to his chagrin, unnerving him somewhat.

She waved his question off without a care in the world, "Hello, my name is Natsuko Miwa, but you already knew that, well except you didn't know the Miwa part but now you do!" she rambled off quickly.

Naruto just stared at the exuberant girl; then looking at Akane questioningly. She just sighed and shrugged her shoulders, but the evil chuckling coming from Aki sent shivers down his spine. Shuddering he looked back at the girl who was now standing very close to him. He took a step back, but she took a step forward. This would have continued if a hand hadn't stopped her.

"Suko, stop it." An older boy said standing beside her. He has short spikey dark-orange hair that resembled Naruto's style. His violet slitted eyes were slightly intense and matched his angular face. He wore a black open jacket exposing his somewhat muscular chest, light grey shorts and the same white shoes as Natsuko. His two dark-orange tails poised behind him.

"Always ruining my fun Isamu…" Natsuko muttered.

"It only makes sense for your better to keep you in line Suko." The boy laughed at the girls darkening eyes.

"You my better? I seem to remember me winning our last three contests." She replied snidely.

"A fluke happens every now and then." He said, nodding his head sagely.

"Indeed, that would explain your wins." She countered, nodding her head even more sagely.

"What did you say!" he shouted.

"You heard me!" She shouted back.

While they were arguing with each other Naruto looked over to his group who were staring blankly at them arguing. They looked almost bored with the argument. Naruto relented after a minute of them constantly bickering and asked his group, "Uh, why are they fighting?"

"Their clans are rivals with each other, both far to energetic for their own good. Don't worry though, it's all in good spirit." She answered, though their scrabble was starting to get annoying like usual. After a few more minutes of constant shouting she finally had enough and bopped each of them on the head planting their face in the dirt. "That's enough Natsuko, Isamu!" she yelled.

"Sorry…" they both mumbled at the same time.

Isamu quickly jumped to his feet and decided to introduce himself to the blond, "Hey kid, names Isamu Takeo." He walked over and put his arm around his shoulder, "You can thank me anytime for saving you from her." He chortled.

"Uh, okay?" Naruto replied unsure how to respond. The conversation went to a halt there with Isamu waiting expectantly, confusing Naruto on the pause. It clicked in Naruto's head that he was waiting for him to thank him. "Thank you?" Naruto drawled.

Isamu nodded his head with gratification and settled to ask another question that peeked his interest. "How old are you kid?" He inquired.

"Four, I turn five this year." Naruto answered, a little uncomfortable with his arm around his neck.

"Ah, cool squirt. I'm seven, and that girl over there is seven as well." The orange haired kid responded.

"I'm the oldest though!" Natsuko quickly shouted.

"It isn't a contest Suko!" he shouted back.

"Of course, because I decimated you in it." She replied cockily.

He would have replied if he didn't suddenly fear for his life. It seemed they had forgotten that they already had the ire of Akane. A dark shadow casted over her face that made both Natsuko and Isamu cling to each other. "What did I say about fighting constantly?" she asked menacingly.

"To not to." They both whimpered.

"Are you going to stop?" she asked coldly.

"Yes!" They both shouted.

"Goody!" Akane said cheerfully, her entire demeanor changing in a split second.

Their conversation caught the attention of a few other kitsune which gathered into a group beside them. Some of them are chuckling at the familiar banter, and the infamous Masumi clan in action. Others were just watching lazily or just choosing to stay silent but still smiling at them.

"Hey guys." Danno said to the group while waving lazily at them. He had noticed his friends starting to gather around them but was waiting for his two eccentric friends to stop. Their energy was limitless but with Akane here, they would face the wrath of the Masumi clan.

"What took you so long to get here?" one of boys replied.

"Showing the new guy around." Danno shrugged.

"Ah, Naruto! Let me introduce you to some of my friends!" Akane said excitedly pulling him over with her, away from Natsuko and Isamu. "Everyone, this is Naruto! He's staying with Aki, Danno, and I."

"Uh, hi." Naruto greeted.

"Hello, I'm Keigo Hiro. It's nice to meet you Naruto." A boy that was slightly taller then Akane said happily. He has short brown hair and golden-slitted eyes. He wore a forest green kimono, a dark green sash wrapped around him, and was barefoot. His two tails are resting against the grass.

"I'm Hana Yuzuki" a girl around Naruto's age bowed. She has beautiful snow-white hair that covered her left eye, only showing her right crimson slitted eye. She wore a silver kimono with a black obi, she was also barefoot and has one snow-white fluffy tail wrapped around her.

"Gin Nao" a boy waved lazily while yawning. He has short grey hair with a thin line of black running through it and brown slitted eyes. He wore a black long-sleeve shirt, baggy grey pants and brown sandals. His two grey tails laid on the grass lazily behind him. "and that's Shizuka Mana" Gin said gesturing to the girl standing beside him, "She doesn't say much."

Shizuka bowed lightly towards him. She has long wavy red hair that framed her face, and violet slitted eyes that looked dully into his own. She wore a black kimono shirt with a grey sash tied around her waist, skin tight jet-black pants and black sandals. Her one red tail waved back and forth behind her.

"Nice to meet you all." Naruto said smiling at each of them, though he eyed Shizuka a little longer then the others. She looked familiar for some reason but shook it off. He probably saw her in town earlier, but it was hard to say.

Aki quickly stepped forward chuckling with a glint that the group recognized and silently prayed for whoever the victim was. "Natsuko, Isamu, I believe fishcake here is better than both of you. He managed to run down the Masumi stairs on his first try! I think he might be a true stamina well, unlike you Natsuko." Aki said, conveniently forgetting to add how he was exhausted afterwards.

Natsuko and Isamu's eyes opened wide before narrowing at Naruto. "Oh, so this squirt thinks he's better then both of us?" he said lowly.

"I challenge you to a race!" Natsuko shouted.

"I second that!" Isamu followed.

"Sure, I'm down for a challenge. But to make things clear, I don't think I'm better then either of you." Naruto stated, but was still excited to play.

Naruto, Natsuko, and Isamu lined up together, then Isamu stated the rules, "We'll do ten laps around the park, no pushing or shoving, whoever comes in last loses." Getting a nod from both, they rushed off quickly. Natsuko and Isamu continued pass each other with Naruto following closely behind.

"Aki." Akane growled.

"What?" Aki asked innocently as she hid behind Danno.

"Why did you say that about Naruto!" Akane shouted.

"I thought it would be funny, and it was." Aki said while smirking but was immediately lost when Danno pushed her towards an angry Akane. "Traitor!" she cried as she was bopped painfully on the head.

After they passed lap five, the group noticed Naruto was starting to fall slightly further behind both Natsuko and Isamu, they were impressed though. Not many of them could keep up with the rivaling duo, so seeing Naruto do it was impressive. He wasn't going to win though; they noticed the last time he passed he was looking tired.

After twenty minutes of constant running, Natsuko crossed the finish line only a second before Isamu. A minute later Naruto crossed the finish line and promptly collapsed on to his knees. He was sweating and breathing heavily from one of the most intense races he had ever been apart of, which was none but they didn't need to know that. He fell backwards into the grass letting his entire body rest. The cool forest floor and light breeze soothed him.

"I have to say squirt, you're not bad." Isamu complimented. Both Natsuko and him were standing beside the exhausted blond watching him breathe heavily. The both enjoyed the race, and it was fun having someone else join them.

"Yeah, not bad Naruto-kun." Natsuko agreed.

The group of kitsune went and sat around Naruto and talked for a while. Natsuko and Isamu talked a bit about a family competition coming up, then began trash talking each other like usual. Soon they both went off running through the obstacle course shouting at each other. Hana, Aki, and Akane talked about clothing, training and some family events while Naruto rested his head on Akane's lap. Danno and Keigo walked off into the forest together talking about kenjutsu and nature. Gin and Shizuka remained silent. Shizuka sat up against a tree where the sun was shining through and Gin was lying down beside her.

A couple hours passed, and sky started to turn orange as the sun began to hide behind the horizon. The park quickly emptied as people went home for dinner which did not exclude Naruto's new group of friends. Soon it was back to the original four, Akane, Aki, Danno and Naruto. With the park being empty they set back off home.

Soon after they arrived at the accursed stairs that Naruto had zero interest in climbing. Aki and Danno ran up the stairs leaving Naruto and Akane to walk the path alone. Naruto had done enough running for a day and just wanted to walk this time, he assumed it would be worse running up them then down.

They walked up the stairs through the darkening forest in relative silence, listening to the leaves rustle in the cooling breeze. It was a relaxing walk when not running it. Having company beside him helped as well.

"Did you have fun Naru-kun?" Akane asked quietly.

"Yeah. I like your friends Akane-chan." Naruto replied warmly.

"They're great but take some getting use to." Akane giggled.

"I like Suko-chan and Isamu, but I wish Aki hadn't said that to them." Naruto said sighing.

"She's a known prankster." Akane grumbled.

"I'll prank her back then, that's a promise!" Naruto shouted, eyes filled with determination.

"Look out Aki, a little maelstrom is coming for you." she chuckled.

He shot her a playful glare but laughing with her. The laughter died down back into a peaceful silence as they continued their walk. Akane and Naruto both had a gentle smile grace their face.

=Nighttime, The Masumi Clan Compound=

They both walked inside the house, kicked off their sandals and left towards the dining room. Since it was so late already, Naruto assumed they would all be eating already. Walking through the empty halls, they started to near the dining room with lots of voices seeping through. Akane slid the door open to the dining room and walked inside with Naruto following her. He slid the door closed and took the same seat he had taken yesterday.

Everyone was chatting with each other, but a few had noticed Naruto and stared at him for a few moments before returning to their conversations. He saw Riku chatting amongst the group about how he made another perfect meal which was rewarded with a slap on the back of the head. Aki and Danno were chatting with each other again. Kenichi and Akane were staring at each other which made Naruto raise an eyebrow.

The dinner in front of him looked good; white rice, steamed vegetables, grilled chicken with a soy sauce marinade, and a cup of green tea. Building up an appetite from his exercise today he dug right in. It was now he realized something disappointing. Something he hadn't even considered a possibility; the food wasn't as good as ramen. He would admit that the food was good like his last meal, but it didn't call out to him like ramen did. He continued to eat his dinner with less enthusiasm then he showed last night. Although his sudden lack of enthusiasm didn't go unnoticed by Riku.

"Naruto, why aren't you eating my food with the same passion as I saw yesterday? Do you not like the meal?" He called out in shock which gathered the attention of everyone at the table. Though no one dared to inflate Riku's massive ego anymore then it already is, his food was some of the best. Plus, they had seen the boy devour his food yesterday, they assumed he would do the same today.

"W-what? No, no, it's great!" Naruto said quickly, not wanting to insult Riku's food.

"I just can't help but notice you're not digging in like yesterday, my food is far to good for you to only suddenly start eating slowly!" Riku declared loudly getting some massive sweatdrops from everyone gathered around the table.

"I think I know what's going on." Aki said getting a few raised eyebrows.

"Well?" Riku asked.

"It's not ramen." Aki said plainly.

"Ramen?" Riku questioned.

"Ramen." Aki parroted.

"I see, then I shall make the best ramen for tomorrows dinner! That will surely reignite Naruto's passion in my food!" Riku exclaimed.

Akane, Aki, and Danno paled remembering the terror they had saw at lunch. They all shuddered remembering his gruesome line, " _Another bowl please!_ ". They weren't sure they were ready to face that again.

"Yes!" Naruto shouted in glee. If Riku's food was already this good, then his ramen would be even greater! Somehow ramen had found a way in his heart and became his favorite food. He could still here the ramen calling to him from lunch, perhaps one day he would be known as the ramen whisperer.

With returned vigor, Naruto ate his food with renewed energy. Everyone except Akane, Aki, and Danno who were still having flashbacks, laughed at the boy's antics and continued to talk while eating. Soon dinner was finished and satisfied with another great meal that Riku was basking in.

"So, Akane, how did the tour go?" Kenichi asked.

"It went well tou-san." Akane answered with a smile.

"That's great, and Naruto, what did you think of the sanctuary?" Kenichi asked eyes darting over to him. The other members of the Masumi clan started paying attention at this point. They hoped he liked his new home.

"It's beautiful, and there was this awesome ramen stand!" Naruto cheered, which was met with laughter from everyone except Riku who was mumbling about his food being better.

"I'm glad you like the area." Kenichi said with a warm smile. He eyed his daughter, "Anything interesting happen?" he asked.

"Nothing much, Naruto met a few of our friends at the creek." She shrugged.

He nodded his head and the conversation died out and people started excusing themselves and leaving the dining room. Naruto, Akane, Aki, and Danno got up and left the dining room soon after. They made their way to the living room, planning on playing a game.

=Living Room, The Masumi Clan Compound=

To anyone just walking into the living room you would only see four kids playing games together. Though, if you took the time to pay close attention to the children, you would notice that not all is as they seem. Three of the children were staring at the other with narrowed eyes and a violently twitching eyebrow. Somehow the blond had irritated all of them.

"He's cheating, he has to be!" Aki exclaimed throwing her hands into the air.

"I've been watching him the entire time, he isn't…" Danno trailed off.

"I think he has some of the most incredible luck I've ever seen." Akane mumbled.

Naruto was giving them all a deadpan look, a tick mark popping up on his forehead. ' _Why does everyone think I'm cheating!?_ ' he thought, though even he had to admit his luck was awesome! He wondered if anyone out there had the opposite of him, such bad luck that they lost at everything.

"I think I've got a theory, Naruto let's play checkers." Danno commented.

Danno went over to the closet and pulled out a board and a bag of black and red disks. He walked back over to the group and sat down and set up the board in front of him and Naruto. It was a simple board, red and black square pattern and matching checkers. Akane and Aki were wondering why he chose checkers, but eventually it clicked in Akane's head what he was doing.

Danno explained the rules of checkers making sure Naruto understood it completely. It was a simple game by the look but was quite strategic and required planning your moves. He hoped that this would prove his theory right, the theory that Naruto has incredible luck when it comes to chance.

The game went rather quickly with Danno winning eventually which proved his theory correct. Give Naruto a game of chance and you will lose, there is no doubt. Give him something that is based on skill and he will have the same odds as anyone else. This relived everyone and made Naruto sweatdrop, ' _What's wrong with me winning?_ ' Naruto whined in his head.

"So, we never leave Naruto to anything of chance and we're good!" Aki said happily.

"Seems like it." Akane said thinking over all her previous games. Her game of war with Naruto had left her dumbfounded how he took every card, and the ones she took were pathetic. If they had to deny Naruto any game of chance to win, they would do it. He can't win at everything, it just wouldn't be fair.

Danno yawned and looked over to the clock, it was late and time for bed. "Well, I'm heading to bed guys, see you all tomorrow." He said, getting up and leaving the room.

"Same, I'm pretty tired and still have to shower. Night!" Aki commented running out of the room after Danno.

Naruto and Akane were left alone again and decided to follow suit and go to bed themselves. Getting up, they both walked out of the living room into the now quiet dark halls and started making their way to their rooms. They silently made it back to Naruto's room and said goodnight to each other before she wondered off into the dark compound.

Naruto slid his bedroom door open and shut it behind him. The moonlight was illuminating his room enough that he could see barely. On his bed, he could make out a pair of red striped pajamas that looked comfortable. Shrugging, he striped out of his clothes and childishly threw them on the floor changing into his new pajamas.

He climbed into bed and got under the covers resting his head of the white fluffy pillows and smiled into the darkness. Today had been amazing; he made new friends, played with them and found his new favorite food. In his short but miserable life, he was content. Slowly his eyes became heavy and he drifted off into a deep slumber with a smile still on his face.

* * *

A/N - The story will start picking up from this point on, I got quite a few years to get through to get him onto the story line. I'm not going to rush it though, I don't want to just suddenly skip eight years with Naruto being super strong with no background. It just won't be going day by day anymore, or at least I don't think it will. Hmm...

Thank you for reading chapter two of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you enjoyed it and decide to come back for chapter three and I finally release it!

If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!

Announcement - 4/20/2018

A little update on chapter three's progress. This entire month I've been exceptionally busy with a large move, taking care of movers, cleaners, and the long drive that comes with it. I just moved into my new place a few days ago and still unpacking and finally got the internet hooked up which is awesome! Now I just need to finishing unpacking the rest of my stuff and we're golden. However, the move as greatly slowed down chapter three's progress. Like a phoenix, I shall rise from the ashes of my old home and come out even greater! Chapter three is in the works faster then ever! Thank you as always.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N - Hello everyone! Welcome back to the third installment of Kitsune Sanctuary! Sorry this took so long, life has been really hectic lately! Not to mention I rewrote this chapter four or five times... I'm happy how it turned out I think, so I hope you all are just as excited to read this as I am!

I'm loving all the postive feedback, but would also appreciate any criticism that you can offer. Please keep speculating and discussing aspects of the story! I absolutely love reading everyone discuss and notice little things. I try to hint at things throughout these chapters that could be very big details or small details.

=Reviews=

 ** **TigrezzTail** \- **Who knows? :P

 **JChittester** \- Hehehehe... I want a picture as well... hehehe...

 **FCY Warrior** \- I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I greatly appreciate the praise. I also would like to thank you for pointing out my grammar errors. While I do go over my story, I'm still prone to miss some. So please continue to point them out if they are spotted. I promise not to stab to much. ;)

 **ThraintarIronshield** \- I'm glad you enjoyed that part, I had a blast writing it. As for your question, I won't spoil it, but there is a high probability he will.

 **Phantomsoul2015** \- Glad you like that!

 **Lightfang** \- I guess you'll just have to continue reading to find out. A hint though, the kitsune do leave the safety of the sanctuary to do things.

 **Soulhope The Wolf** \- You might just be on to something.

 **KakeruPB** \- I imagine NarutoxAkane are going to be paired a lot during this story. But I'm not going to spoil any romance in this story. You'll just have to continue to read and find out! There are a lot of characters that he could end up with, I only hope I can write their characters well. Now I did mention Akane's age is around Naruto's, but didn't give a specific number. She is five, and Naruto will learn that soon.

 **Guests** \- Yes, I can guarantee you will see scenes of Konoha. The significance of the dream... that's a secret. ^-^

Please enjoy the story everyone!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

* * *

=Konohagakure=

The dark starry sky vanished as the sun rose past the horizon. Large white clouds lazily hovered over the land below. Birds began singing in the large illuminated forest around them, deer woke and grazed the grassy fields. The large village known as Konohagakure became lively was it bathed in the warm rays of light.

Men, women, and children rise from their slumber and begin their days. Stores started opening, streets started filling with a vast amount of people. Shinobi were jumping roof top to roof top going about their business. A green spandex wearing monster began screaming "Youth!" as he ran around Konoha on his hands with boulders on his back. It was a normal day like every other.

The leader of the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi woke as well preparing for an eventful day. He was an older man that looked wise and powerful. His once tan skin from his youth was now paler from sitting inside all day. His dark spikey brown hair was now grey including his goatee, wrinkles and liver spots adorned his body.

Dressed in his kage uniform, a customary white and red hat with the kanji for fire in the front, a red haori with a white sash tied around his waist. He wore a white cloak over top his haori that has the Sandaime Hokage on the back. Overall, his appearance gave off utmost importance.

Hiruzen made his way through the lively streets with a grandfatherly smile plastered on his face. Men, women, and children smiled and waved at their leader as he passed by them. He would nod his head and smile back at everyone, they are his family and he is always happy to see them.

Soon he found himself in his office, a large circular room with two large oaken doors leading into it. The walls are a beige stone with six large windows behind the wooden desk. Stone tiles lined the floor in a simplistic pattern. The walls are lined with bookshelves filled with books, scrolls. To his horror, there on his desk stood a mountain of papers. Paperwork was the bane to all kages. ' _Maybe all the villages could unite to take out this great evil and create peace?_ ' the old kage thought.

Sighing lowly, he sat down in his chair and began working on a stack of paperwork. It would take him all day, but he would get it done before tomorrow's next wave attacked. He would never give in, never surrender to the evil. If it was war this damn sheet wanted, then war it would get! Thus, with determination alit in his eyes he attacked the papers with renewed vigor.

A few hours passed with only a few interruptions from shinobi coming in for orders, some for direct missions. ANBU (Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai) were stationed in his office hiding in the dark recesses of his office ready to defend their leader. The elderly man began to let his mind wander while slowly going over his paperwork. He thought of his three students, the three-legendary ninja, the sannin. They were his prized students that he cared for deeply that all fell from grace in their own way.

Orochimaru was a student that Hiruzen saw as his own son, he was brilliant. Prodigy is the easiest way to describe the man, he is a perfectionist. He always desired to learn new things and discover everything he could. Somewhere down the line his mind became dark and twisted, and he began experimenting on humans, worse, he started experimenting on citizens of Konoha. When he had discovered Orochimaru's treachery, he confronted him. Though he had planned on killing the boy for his disgusting experiments, he couldn't find it in his heart to eliminate the boy who he saw as his own son. One of his greatest mistakes indeed.

Tsunade Senju was a girl with a bright future, a genius with masterful chakra control. Her lineage is incredibly impressive; related to two kages, the Shodia Hokage, Hashirama Senju and the Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju. She is the greatest medical-nin in the world but lost herself when not only her little brother perished during the third great shinobi war, but her fiancée passed as well. Hatred spewed forth and caused her to despise her home. She found solace in drinking and gambling to help dim the everlasting pain that haunted her as she traveled the elemental nations. She has never stepped foot in Konoha since she left.

Jiraiya was a dim-witted boy that you couldn't help but laugh at. He wasn't that brightest and did better through trial and error which contrasted his two old team members. He was a genius in his own right and worked hard to keep up with his two teammates. He eventually took on his own team and raised them to become splendid shinobi. Minato Namikaze was Jiraiya's son in everything but blood and was excited when his student became the Yondaime Hokage. Soon after, Minato perished with his wife causing Jiraiya to spiral down a well of depression. He found comfort in brothels, writing his books, but never stopped working for Konoha. He lost himself in his work and rarely visited anymore unless it was important.

His aged mind drifted to a scar that would never heal, the death of his lovely wife Biwako Sarutobi. She was as wise as himself maybe even more so; they fit together like two puzzle pieces. Though their opinions sometime clashed like how she believed women were stronger than men. While he didn't believe they were weaker than men, he believed everyone to start off as an equal and made a path for themselves. She was his soulmate and made his life happy. But like all good things, it came to an end. A catastrophic event took her from him when the Kyuubi broke free and slaughtered a large portion of the village. So many innocent lives were lost that day.

The wise man grew to despise; loathe the existence of the Kyuubi. He truly hoped it would suffer for an eternity for the suffering it caused to his family and village. Much to his dismay, the hatred carried over to a certain blonde boy for a short time. He wasn't foolish to believe the boy to be the Kyuubi, but he hated what was inside of him. The thought of the boy brought up painful memories that he wished to avoid for a while. However, after almost five years he was finally ready to try and take care of the boy like his father and mother would have wanted.

Snapping out of his thoughts he decided it was finally time to greet the jinch _ū_ riki. Forming a handsign, a young man that looked around seventeen or eighteen appeared in front of him. His face is hidden behind a white porcelain dog mask only showing his silver spikey gravity defying hair. He wore a jet-black sleeveless t-shirt that exposed his shoulders with a light grey vest overtop, jet-black pants with white bandages tied around right leg alongside a kunai pouch, matching shinobi sandals that went up to his knees. The hilt of a sword poked up over his right shoulder.

"Inu, I need you to locate the Jinchūriki, Naruto and bring him to me _._ " Hiruzen ordered.

The ANBU member did not respond vocally but nodded and vanished in a swirl of leaves. His first stop would most likely be the orphanage, but word has gotten around that the 'demon' has been sleeping in the park. He didn't understand why the boy had chosen to sleep in the park instead of a bed under a roof but guessed that they were just rumors to dehumanize the child.

=Konohagakure; ANBU: Inu=

Though it's difficult to tell underneath the emotionless white dog mask, Inu is ecstatic. He has been waiting for Naruto to be introduced to the Hokage since the day he noticed the treatment in the orphanage. Discretely, Inu had been the one changing his used diapers, or torn clothes when no one else would. He wanted to do more but was forbidden from interacting with Naruto.

Hopefully this would be the start of a new, brighter chapter in the young blonde's life. It is considered an honor to be personally called in by the hokage. For an orphan to be called in to visit the hokage, it could mean anything. Usually orphans would meet with the hokage if he saw latent talent that could be used for the good of Konoha. Naruto clearly fit those perimeters, and with him being the jinchūriki, that only opened future potential.

Inu appeared in a swirl of leaves in front of the wooden orphanage. It's a decently sized building that could hold quite a phew children and has a sizeable back and front yard. A large beautiful oak tree lazily sat in the front yard with branches leaning over the roof of the orphanage. A small wooden swing is attached to it, slowly rocking back and forth in the gentle breeze.

Knocking on the front door, it opened revealing the caretaker. She is an aged woman with noticeably greying hair, wrinkles forming on her forehead, and bags under her eyes. She wore a simple white gown with a green apron overtop of it. Her brown eyes met Inu's before the woman smiled kindly at him; behind his mask, he did not smile back. "I'm here to retrieve the orphan Naruto." Inu said blandly.

The woman suddenly looked worried, and nervous. Looking into her eyes you could see her debating how to handle to the situation that had just arisen. Alarms started playing in the masked shinobi's head at the possibilities for her reaction to what he said.

"Sorry ANBU-san, but that de-" she coughed, and quickly corrected herself, " _boy_ no longer lives here." Her words laced with bitterness.

Inu's eyes narrowed behind the white dog mask. "What do you mean he no longer lives here?" he questioned sternly.

"That _boy_ became a danger to the other orphans, so I removed him after his fourth birthday." The caretaker said seriously.

The ANBU member nodded his head noticeably before vanishing in a swirl of leaves. He would inform the hokage of the caretaker's decision to kick a four-year-old out on the street. However, now he would focus on the rumors going around about the 'demon' sleeping in the park.

He appeared in front of the park once again in a swirl of leaves. The park is swimming with children happily going about their business and parents sitting on benches smiling at them. These were the moments that made serving Konoha worth it. A place where children could grow up safely; parents to work without fear of bandits.

After a few hours of wandering the entire park, he only stumbled upon one clue that Naruto had been here. A single tree has some trash around it, and a small nest like bed created in the leafy canopy. A few extra set of clothes laid in the tree that matched what he got Naruto. Since the boy wasn't here right now, he was about to leave and continue searching when he overheard a disturbing conversation.

"Yeah, I took out the demon two nights ago." A shaggy looking man bragged.

"I can't believe you actually got a rid of it." Replied a bald elder.

"It wasn't that hard, but with the demon dead our families can rest in peace." The shaggy man said happily.

Inu's eyes widened in shock over the conversation before narrowing dangerously. This man just insinuated that he killed Naruto, and so carelessly as well. Righteous fury welled up inside the ANBU member as he glared at the man unconsciously releasing a minor amount of killing intent. Shaking his head and calming himself down, he began walking over to the man.

The man who was just bragging only moments ago froze in fear as killing intent washed over him. His eyes furiously looked around trying to spot where that killing intent came from, but it quickly disappeared. Blinking his eyes, he looked forward only to spot a white porcelain dog mask in his face.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you removed a demon, mind explaining?" Inu droned.

The man believed he was being praised and wasted no time in telling his heroic tale. A tale where he accepted his heroic quest to remove the demon from Konoha to protect everyone. How he fought the demonic entity right here in this very park with his friend and knocked it out. How he took it far from Konoha leaving it to die alone in the distant woods. His tale was heroic sounding, one that he believed Konoha would celebrate. They say ignorance is bliss, he just happened to experience it firsthand.

Inu listened to the man's tale and heard it slightly differently. A tale where the shaggy man got paid to kidnap and/or murder the jinchūriki Naruto. How the man ambushed a four-year-old with his friend and knocked the child out. How disgusting man left a defenseless four-year-old out in the wilderness with no way of getting back. The man's tale sounded pathetic, weak, and cowardly. This man was about to have a really bad day.

Nodding his head in acceptance to his answer, Inu immediately flashed behind him and knocked the man out with a quick jab to the neck. The elderly man beside him looked shocked as his eyes widened in disbelief. Inu payed the elder no mind and scooped up the unconscious man and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. A certain scar-headed man was about to have a new toy to play with.

=Konohagakure, Hokage's Office=

The wise leader sat at his desk going over some more paperwork. It's been a few hours since he sent his ANBU to retrieve Naruto and was expecting him to return soon. He had expected him to return a lot sooner, but Konoha is a large village. It would be difficult to locate a four-year-old.

He laid back on his chair and swirled around to look out his office windows. The view made the long hours' worth it. You could see the Hokage Monument, and most of the village and the outskirts of the surrounding forest. He enjoyed watching over the citizens like a father would look over his children.

The village seemed livelier today. People looked to be drinking out in public and cheering, quite like the Kyuubi festival. He wondered what they were celebrating today, his old mind couldn't think of any holidays. Shrugging his shoulders, he figured he would find out later tonight or tomorrow.

A sudden burst of chakra caught the sandaime's attention. Swirling the chair around to face his desk again, he saw Inu standing straight in front of him. Though the old man couldn't see the ANBU's face, he could see his posture has a sense of urgency. His aura has a hint of anger with sadness laced in.

His eyes narrowed at the lack of a spikey blond haired four-year-old. This added with the sense of urgency the ANBU is displaying and the random celebration happening in the village. It didn't take long for his wise mind to figure out what happened. Something bad happened to Konoha's jinchūriki.

"Where is Naruto, explain." Hiruzen questioned sternly.

* _Flashback, earlier with Inu_ *

Hiro sat in a rusty metal chair beside a rusty metal table. A small lightbulb dangled over the table only illuminating a small circle around him leaving the area around him terrifyingly dark. His legs and arms were tied respectively to the chair, leaving much to be desired. He couldn't remember how he got here. One moment he was telling his heroic tale, the next moment he's in a dank room alone.

A metal door from the darkness opened slowly, screeching painfully as it echoed off the empty walls. Multiple footsteps could be heard throughout the darkness, then only one pair was heard slowly stepping towards him. The footsteps soon relieved themselves to be a taller man looking to be around twenty or so.

Ibiki Morino has been part of the Torture & Interrogation department for three years. While the man was only nine-teen, he managed to build himself a terrifying reputation as a mind-breaker. He carried an aura of fear with him that matched his scarred flesh. Ibiki is a large and imposing man which helped with intimidation. His head is covered in a purple cap with a metal plate with the insignia for the hidden leaf village. His face has one large scar diagonally on the right side of his face, and cold piercing black eyes. He wears a long-sleeved dark purple button up shirt with black pants. A black belt tied around his waist, and a black trench coat and gloves.

Inu delivered a toy for him to play with but made sure to make him understand the information of Konoha's jinchūriki took priority. From what he was told, this older man attacked a child and left him for dead somewhere in the forest. Somehow the older man thought what he did was heroic and just; he is going to have fun with this one.

He sat down opposite of the terrified man staring at him coldly. A few minutes of terrifying silence passed before he decided to grace his toy with his voice. "Hiro, retired chūnin of Konohagakure after obtaining a large wound on his left eye, and a shattered kneecap. This is correct, right?" Ibiki asked coolly.

Hiro nodded his head. He was on a mission with his team when they encountered a group of mangy Iwa shinobi who attacked them. He was slashed in the eye causing him to lose most of his eyesight. To add salt in the wound, they had hit him what a doton jutsu shattering his right kneecap ending his shinobi career.

"Good, now tell me how you dealt with the jinchūriki." The scarred man stated.

Hiro's eyes narrowed; he was asked a similar question not to long ago before he was knocked out. ' _Is that why I'm here?_ ' the older male thought curiously. Pondering that question in his head, he decided to tell a more subdued version of his tale to the scarred man. He could tell it wasn't the time to be to boisterous.

After explaining the story once more he watched the scarred man stare at him. His black eyes met his own eyes and just stared. It unnerved him, he hadn't seen the guy blink more then twice. That couldn't be healthy.

"So, let me get this straight. You attacked a four-year-old in a park, and left him for dead somewhere off in the woods?" Ibiki asked coldly.

"That _boy_ wasn't a boy! It was a demon who killed my family!" The older man insisted.

"Oh yes, sometimes I forget how a newborn child caused so much death and destruction." The scarred man retorted sarcastically.

"The demon took the form of the child to trick us!" Hiro screamed.

Ibiki stared long and hard at the pathetic excuse of a man in front of him. He truly believed everything he just said, and there was so much hatred and bitterness laced in his words. ' _Interesting…_ ' Ibiki thought.

"Who hired you to remove the 'demon' from Konoha?" Ibiki asked getting back on track. He took out a kunai and started prodding his fingers.

Hiro eyed the kunai warily. "N-none of your business." Hiro said cursing his slight stutter.

Ibiki slammed the kunai into the table going right through it causing Hiro to jump. Well, jump as much as a man tied to a rusty chair could. Ibiki stared at the man with a blank face, but inside he was smirking. This is to easy. "I think you will find it is my business." He said slowly retracting the kunai from the table.

Hiro continued to stare at the blade, trying desperately to ignore it. It wouldn't do to show any fear to an interrogator, that's how they get you. To his dismay, he was shaking ever so slightly and sweating nervously.

The scarred man reached into a pouch on the side of his leg and pulled out four additional kunai and lined them up on the table in front of him. "Here is what we're going to do. We're going to play a game of lives. Each kunai is a life, and when you run out you die. Sounds fun right?" Ibiki chuckled at the older man's fearful eyes. "I'm going to ask you a question, and you're going to answer truthfully. If you lie or fail to answer, you lose a life. Simple enough?" Ibiki finished.

"Who hired you to remove the 'demon' from Konoha?" Ibiki asked again.

Hiro eyed the kunai on the table nervously, then looked into his interrogators eyes. He looked completely serious with his threat of death, but would he really kill me if he needed the information? ' _Probably, he could just go grab the other guy that did this with me…_ ' he concluded. The next question in his head, was his employer worth his life? That was a simple answer. No, but first let's find out what I'm dealing with. He stayed silent, staring at the kunai waiting. With incredible speed, the scarred man picked up one of the kunai and flung with right past his head imbedding it into the wall. He was just gifted a free haircut.

"That's one life down, same question as before." Ibiki said coolly.

"Kane Kuro." Hiro answered quickly.

"Kane Kuro, high-class merchant on the civilian council?" Ibiki asked, getting a nod for an answer. "Interesting, where did you leave the 'demon'"? he asked.

Hiro's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He wasn't willing to let the demon come back after how much trouble he went through to get him out. "We picked a random direction and left it in a random spot far from Konoha." Hiro stated, eyes slightly drifting off into the darkness. A second kunai went flying by his head cutting off more of his hair.

"Two lives down. Same question." Ibiki said sternly. Receiving no answer, he threw a third kunai, slightly grazing his head. Not enough to cut, but enough to feel the blade. "Three lives down, two left. Same question." He said coldly.

Hiro was beginning to panic; that knife was a little to close for comfort. "We left it near the border of Kawa no Kuni (river country)." He said with a heavy sigh.

"Who was working with you?" Ibiki asked slightly calmer than before.

"Noa." The older man answered in a defeated tone.

Behind is one-way glass window, Inu disappeared in a swirl of leaves. The older man was easier to break then he thought he would be, but that just made his life easier. The Hokage is not going to be pleased with this information.

* _Flashback End_ *

The Hokage was indeed not pleased with what he was told. This is a bad scenario all together, their jinchūriki is out there alone and unclaimed. They have a powerful tool out there just waiting to be found, and worse know one knew that they had the Kyuubi. Everyone believed the Yondaime Hokage killed the demon. So, if someone found the boy, Konoha would have absolutely no claim. This was very bad.

"Tenzo." A teenager appeared in front the old hokage. He wore a white porcelain that resembled a cat with red and green markings. He has short brown hair that went to his shoulders. He wore the same uniform as Inu, sword and all. "Arrest Kane Kuro and bring him to T&I." Hiruzen ordered. The brown haired ANBU nodded his head slightly before vanishing in a familiar swirl of leaves.

"Orders sir?" Inu asked. He desperately wanted to find Naruto, not because of his jinchūriki status, but for personal reasons. His sensei's last request was for the boy to be seen as hero. While most of Konoha seemed to ignore his dying wish, he did not.

"Gather a squad of ANBU and scour the border for any trace of Naruto. Hopefully we can find him before someone or something else does." The old hokage said tiredly. Inu nodded his head and vanished as well leaving the hokage to himself.

Hiruzen slumped back in his chair and let out a tired sigh. He failed because he was to cowardly to face Naruto earlier. The blond-haired boy is out there somewhere, alone and scared. Most likely dead from predators or captured by bandits to be sold as child labor or worse. If the boy is still alive, he could only hope that he wasn't starving to death.

=Kitsune Sanctuary, The Masumi Clan Compound=

The Masumi clan compound is quiet, an uncomfortable silence loomed over the entire area. You would almost assume that everyone is asleep with how silent it is. However, the blazing sun is still shining brightly in the sky, of course it was starting to set, but it is far too early to be asleep. That begged the question, why is it so quiet?

The entire clan sat around the dining room table watching their newest family member eat. They wanted to look away from the horrific scene, but they couldn't no matter how bad they wanted to. There is no way to describe the blond vacuum they were witnessing. Bowl after bowl of ramen was consumed in seconds. There is no mess, no drops of broth left on the table, not a single noodle left untouched. It is perfectly captured in the blackhole known as Naruto.

"Another please!" The boy chirped happily. Riku kept his word and made ramen for dinner tonight, and it is just as good as the ramen he got at the food stand. He just finished another bowl of delicious ramen and wanted to eat so much more. ' _Is this what heavens like?_ ' he thought mystically.

"There… there isn't anymore…" Riku said in shock. He now understood why Akane, Aki, and Danno went pale when he mentioned making ramen for dinner tonight. This scene would forever be etched into the memories of every single member of the Masumi clan.

"But I could eat at least a few more bowls…" Naruto pouted. How could anyone deprive him of something so majestic? This is the food of the gods, there is no other way to describe it. He wondered if he could make a religion based on ramen, he would lead the world to a new age of understanding via ramen. A beautiful site indeed.

Akane, Aki, and Danno starred at the blond with their jaw hitting the table. ' _He could eat a few more!?_ ' they all thought together. It was funny after the first bowl, worrying after the seventh, disturbing after the fifteenth. This was worse than the ramen stand, and they would have nightmares of this. Looking into each other's eyes, they made a silent pact. They would keep Naruto away from ramen whenever possible.

Naruto blinked in confusion. "You all haven't even finished your first bowl yet!" he shouted in shock. How could they not be enjoying the sanctity that is ramen? Did they not like ramen? That thought scared Naruto a little deep down.

All the members of the Masumi clan blinked at that, then looked down. Indeed, none of them had finished a single bowl yet. Hell, most of them haven't even taken a single bite yet. Sadly, that also meant none of them were getting seconds. Thank goodness none of them were avid ramen eaters.

"So, Naruto, did you like my ramen?" Riku asked knowingly. Even though it was a scarring event, he enjoyed seeing someone eat his food with such passion! This is what a chef lives for!

"Yeah dattebayo!" Naruto chirped excitedly, his verbal tic showing once more through sheer excitement.

Riku patted himself on the back, he's still got it. "Glad you liked it so much. My cooking is quite amazing." He said proudly getting a few groans from around the table. He looked around the table at the groans, then started pouting childishly.

The rest of the dinner went quickly as everyone finished off their one bowl of ramen. They would occasionally look up at the blond child and shiver as he stared at their food like a vulture waiting for any sign of scraps. While some were slightly annoyed that they only got one bowl – which they would admit is delicious but wouldn't tell Riku and inflate his ego even more – they were happy overall with the blonde's cheerful attitude. He added a hint of excitement to the compound that everyone enjoyed.

Soon after dinner finished off, the kitsunes left to go about their own business. The room emptied only leaving Akane, Aki, Danno and Naruto. The room was silent for a bit while they rubbed their stomachs in satisfaction. Aki looked over to Akane curiously before a sly smile popped up on her face. "Akane-chan, want to spar? We can show Naruto what kenjutsu is!" Aki asked in a hopeful tone with sparkling eyes.

Akane looked over to Naruto who is just watching the conversation with interest. She didn't want to leave Naruto out of any fun, but it had been a couple days since she practiced with anyone. Plus, Aki did have a good point, this would be a great opportunity to show Naruto what kenjutsu is. She has talked about it with a passion but has yet to show him it. "Sure, it's been a while since I've crushed you." Akane said mirthfully, receiving a challenging glare in return.

"Oh ho, you're going to regret that Akane-chan…" Aki retorted with a chuckle and an evil glint in her eyes. While Akane has been playing with her new blond fishcake toy, she continued to practice! She quickly got up motioning for everyone to follow her as she walked out of the room. Akane smiled and followed closely.

Naruto eyed Danno curiously who just shrugged. He got up and followed the two red-headed kitsunes, intent on seeing their spar. From what he has learned in his short time here, Akane is a prodigy in kenjutsu but Aki is nothing to sneeze at either.

=The Masumi Clan Compound, Training Ground=

Akane and Aki stood in an evenly trimmed grassy field around thirty feet from each other. They both picked up their training ninjatō on their way here. Naruto sat on the sidelines against a tree watching them both prepare for their spar. Danno was standing in between them as a referee.

"You both ready?" Danno asked eyeing them both.

"Oh yeah, the red devil is going down today!" Aki said energetically. She has been asking for a spar for a while but continued to get a 'not now' or 'maybe later'. It annoyed her slightly, but with her renewed interest in kenjutsu due to the blond fishcake, she finally accepted!

"You realize you have red hair too, right?" Akane retorted with a sly chuckle. The red devil is her friendly nickname Aki gave her because of her vicious swordsmanship. She wasn't known for holding back very often…

"So, I'm a red-haired angel! Two forces destined to clash, we are destined to be rivals!" Aki shouted dramatically. Off in the distance under a tree, a blond fishcake snorted.

"Really?" Akane said dryly.

"Yup!" Aki smirked.

"Well, if you're both done with your prebattle monologue, can we start the fight? I'm getting tired and the sun is almost out of the sky." Danno said yawning into his hand. Maybe he could sneak off and go to bed early tonight?

"You're no fun Danno-kun." Aki pouted.

"Anyways, hajime." Danno waved lazily as he walked over to the sidelines and laid down beside Naruto. He should be ready to end the fight if things got to heated, but he is tired. ' _Maybe later…_ ' he thought sleepily, closing his eyes.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the trees. The grass swayed back and forth as both fighters locked eyes with each other. When the wind died down, they both charged at each other. With impressive speed for children, they both clashed in the middle. Wooden ninjatō vs wooden ninjatō.

"You've improved your strength Aki-chan." Akane complimented. She took a step back catching Aki off guard as she stumbled forward losing her footing due to putting so much force into her attack. Akane took advantage of her opening and went to stab her in the chest but was quickly parried by Aki.

Aki rushed into her guard and went for a fatal slash at the neck. She didn't expect Akane to have already recovered from her parry and dodge to the left. Akane took advantage and slashed at her side. She took a hard hit to the side falling to the ground roughly. Instincts cried out to her as she rolled to the side avoiding a slash that would have cut her in half. Quickly jumping onto her feet, she got some distance between herself and Akane. "and you're just as deadly as ever Akane-chan." Aki commented with a wince.

Off on the side lines Naruto watched the fight continue. He could only imagine how deadly they would be if they were using real swords. Naruto couldn't help but think that getting slashed with a wooden sword would probably still hurt badly. He looked over to Danno who has his eyes closed and breathing in and out slowly. Naruto started to sweat at that since he is supposed to be refereeing the fight. "They're pretty good." Naruto commented out loud trying to wake Danno up.

"Yeah, but they are just putting on a show right now." Danno commented without moving at all. While he wasn't watching the fight, he could hear their movements with his ears.

"How could you know? You're not even watching!" Naruto grumbled. He did not get a response and sighed looking back at the spar. He wondered if he would be good at kenjutsu.

Aki is panting lightly keeping her eyes on Akane who watched her just as closely. She smirked, at least Akane is panting as well. ' _She's already got one debilitating wound on me. In a real fight she would have already won… I've still got a long way to go Akane-chan…_ ' Aki thought as she looked over her opponent.

Akane took a step forward panting lightly studying her opponent. Although she is technically in the lead with the wound she managed to inflict, she is rather impressed with Aki's performance. ' _Danno and her must have been practicing a lot._ ' She thought while smiling, ' _Though she's let her guard down slightly to catch her breath_.' She mused. Akane took advantage and rushed Aki taking her by surprise at the sudden movement. She vertically slashed her ninjatō at her collarbone but got blocked weakly by Aki.

Aki cringed at the pain at her side when she took the force of the blow. Their wooden swords were in a clash of dominance before an idea struck Aki's head. She stopped putting pressure into her defense causing Akane to falter; taking advantage of her stumble she went to slash at her ankles but got rewarded with a punch in the face with her opponent's hilt. Falling onto the ground in a daze, she got ready to move before she felt the wooden blade resting at her neck. "And, that's game Aki-chan." Her fellow red-head said with amusement.

"Did you have to hit me so hard? I'm going to have such a bad headache…" Aki complained holding her head in her hands. Even though she lost the spar, it still gave her a little more experience.

"Sorry, but you gave me such a good opening. I just couldn't resist!" Akane said mirthfully.

"It was supposed to be my opening!" She retorted hotly.

She got a chuckle in response and looked up with a glare. It quickly changed to a smile as an offering hand dangled in front of her. She took it and raised herself off the ground. "Thanks for the spar Akane-chan." She said with a small smile.

"That was awesome!" a loud voice called out to them from the side. Indeed, the blond boy was running at them leaking amazement. It looked like they managed to put on a good show.

"Aw, thanks fishcake!" Aki said cutely with a gleeful smile plastered on her face. All she got in return was an annoyed glare from him and a bop on the head from Akane.

"Glad you liked it Naru-kun. You think you'd be interested in giving it a go sometime?" Akane asked, hoping she made a good impression on him.

"Of course! I'm going to be awesome!" Naruto chirped excitedly.

"Not to break up the moment, but can we go now? It's getting dark outside, and I'm tired." Danno commented from the side while walking towards them. He yawned into his hand and walked past them towards the house.

The other three shrugged and followed him. Aki ran ahead to walk beside Danno like usual leaving Akane and Naruto to walk behind them. Akane looked up towards the darkening sky and let out a tired yawn.

=The Masumi Clan Compound, Naruto's room=

A few more hours passed before the three kitsunes went off to bed leaving Naruto alone in his room. His clothes from earlier laid scattered across the wooden floor. The moonlight shined through the window illuminating the room. Naruto rested in his bed in his pajamas; looking up at the dark ceiling thinking.

His mind wandered as he thought over everything that has changed for him. He was kidnapped from his old home, Konoha and left for dead in a forest who knows where. Rescued by talking majestic foxes and led into another dimension that is ruled by said majestic foxes. That somehow, he has their leader sealed inside of him, which happened to be the Kyuubi. He's still trying to wrap his head around that detail. In that short time though, they gave him a new home, friends, and hopefully a family.

He wondered what would have happened if he stayed in Konoha. He'd probably still be sleeping in that comfortable tree. It might not have been a soft bed, but he knew how to choose a comfortable branch! Sadly, he was forced to leave behind his treasures. He didn't know where they came from, or who gave them to him, but he cherished them. They were just clothes to anyone else, but it was his first gift.

A thought popped into his head, ' _Has anyone noticed I'm gone?_ ' Naruto thought curiously, before a small bit of pain welled up in his heart. ' _If they have, they're probably happy I'm gone…_ ' he thought sadly. He shook his head and sighed. It wasn't the time for sad thoughts like that.

His thoughts drifted off to his friends and family, Kenichi, Akane, Aki, Danno, Riku, Natsuko, Isamu, Keigo, Hana, Gin, Shizuka, and the few others he's met. Kenichi felt like what he would assume a father figure is like. The older kitsune seemed to care for him, but he could just be worried for what I hold instead. He didn't like that line of thought and squashed it immediately, but he knew it lingered in the recesses of his mind.

Akane, Aki, and Danno brought a soft smile to the sleepy blonde's face. He considered them to be his best friends and hold a special place in his heart already. Akane seemed to want to get to know him better and tried to get him involved in things. Aki felt like what a sister would be like; constantly teasing and picking on him but not meaning any harm. ' _One day she won't call me fishcake, one day._ ' He thought hopefully. Danno is an interesting guy, he seemed more laid back then everyone else.

The kitsunes he met in the park were nice as well. He only met them shortly, but he can tell they will be good friends one day. Shizuka peeked his interest the most for reasons he couldn't really explain. He hoped to play with them all again, especially the energetic duo Natsuko and Isamu. Their race yesterday was so much fun, even after he lost it was still a blast.

That reminded him of something very important. A certain red haired kitsune pranked him, and he is going to get her back. It would be something embarrassing, something frustrating, something beautifully evil. He chuckled darkly in his mind as his began crafting devious ideas. In another room, said red head shivered in her sleep.

Naruto's eyes started getting heavier and heavier as his mind continued to wander onto different subjects. Soon his breathing slowed and relaxed. His mind drifted off to sleep.

=Unknown=

Darkness, that is the only thing Naruto could see. A cold feeling of loneliness filled the air all around him as the darkness continued to swallow him whole. Since he fell through the park floor in front of those two strange kids, he has spent his last couple nights in darkness. Below, above and all around, nothing but the cold dark abyss. He couldn't tell if he was falling or floating in nothingness. The darkness felt familiar though, like he had been here before. It's a feeling he couldn't explain. It felt like hours before he heard a sound echoing around him, the sound of stone cracking.

Water rushed around his small body as he laid back against the cold stone flooring. He blinked his eyes trying to adjust to the sudden change of lighting. His eyes stared up at the curved stone ceiling blankly. His head turned slightly to both side examining the new area he found himself in. It looked like he was dropped into a sewer. The walls were made of stone with large cracks throughout it, dark green moss grew out of the cracks. Three different sized pipes ran alongside the walls; the two smaller ones were connected strangely. One was a dark blue while the smaller one wrapped around it was a forest green. The green pipe looked alive, like it is trying to merge with the dark blue one. The larger red pipe was separated by a large margin and felt dangerous.

Standing up and he leaned up against a wall resting against it. ' _Where am I?_ ' he thought worriedly, his eyes drifted too both paths laid out before him. Looking at the two directions he could start walking weren't appealing. Both directions were mostly identical except for one be slightly brighter then the other. With a sigh he started walking towards the brighter path of the two paths given to him.

He kept his hand on the wall as he continued walking. In a short time, he came to a fork in the road which offered three different paths. Two of the three paths looked like the one he was walking down the entire time, while the third gave off the sound of rushing water. Choosing to follow the sound of water, he turned to the right path continued walking forward.

The small river of water started picking up pace the closer he got to the sound of rushing water. It started getting harder to keep his footing on the stone with the rapid water pushing him. After a few more minutes of walking he arrived at a large circular tower that extended up and down. The river of water rushed off the ledge creating a waterfall. Naruto used all his strength to hold onto the wall as he peered over the edge and saw a whirlpool of water draining into a dark void. The darkness felt even colder than the darkness he was in earlier, and that scared him. He immediately backed off from the ledge and ran from the circular room back the way he came.

As he ran, he tried to slow his heart and control himself. He wanted to cry for reasons he couldn't explain, and at the same time the waters started rising and getting faster. The water rose to his waist and picked him up dragging him back towards the previous room. He tried swimming against the rapid currents, even digging his fingers into the stone wall, but he wasn't strong enough as he was launched off the side into the maelstrom below. After a few seconds of struggling he was pulled under the water and sucked into the darkness that brought out that uncontrollable fear. His mind went blank.

He woke up back at the intersection with the water level returned to normal. He sat up and looked around in a daze, the original path he took is now barred with a steel grate. A wall that is strong enough to protect him from whatever is on the other side. He could no longer hear rushing water down that path, it is eerily silent now.

He looked down the two available paths, both looked identical. Rising to his feet shakily, he randomly chose a path and started walking forward. As he continued to walk down the never-ending tunnel, he decided to take a short break and sat down against a wall submerging his legs in water again. The familiar sound of stone cracking whispered in his ear. With only a short warning, the wall behind him shattered making him lose his balance and fall backwards. Strangely, none of the water followed him.

Darkness surrounded him again, but it was different then last time. Unlike last time, where there was nothing but darkness, this one has glowing green chains dangling all around him. They felt warming and tried reaching out to him. Eventually one managed to ensnare him, and like dominos each chain latched onto his body. Naruto didn't fight the chains; they felt so safe and warm.

Naruto rested against the chains like a hammock savoring the warmth they gave off as he hung above the never-ending abyss below him. The chains after a while fully wrapped around his body like a cocoon began pulling him up. It started off slowly but sped up gradually. Naruto watched as the chains continued pulling him faster and faster, and soon spotted a green light above him. It looked like the entrance to another room. Just as he was about to reach the light, the chains were severed but Naruto's momentum continued sending him forward.

He found himself running upright into a large open room, and with the sudden introduction to water he tripped falling face first with a loud splash. He pushed himself up onto his knees gently. After wiping his face, he started examining the new room in front of him. It is the largest room he has seen so far in this strange sewer. It is rectangular stone room with large crack, luminescent dark green moss flourished in the cracks. The stone room went higher than the Hokage's monument. It has a large steel gate resting in front of him with a large piece of paper with the kanji for 'seal' plastered in the center. Behind the gate is an uncomfortable darkness, instincts told him to stay away from it.

A massive red slitted eye opened at the sound of splashing water and looked through the large gate in front of him. It had been sleeping since it was imprisoned, regaining its strength. It crimson eyes narrowed as they spotted a spikey blond-haired kit looking around the room. Deciding to make its presence known, it spoke. " **So, my warden finally decided to come visit me.** " It growled out lowly towards the now shaken kit.

Naruto jumped backwards landing on his butt at the sudden loud voice. Looking towards the sound he spotted a glowing red-slitted eye studying him. He quickly jumped to his feet ready to run, "W-who are you?" Naruto called out fearfully. His question seemed to amuse the creature behind the gate.

" **I am the…** " the being started to say, suddenly standing up and walking towards the large metal gate. In it's massive glory stood a legendary sized orange fox with nine large tails swishing back and forth behind it aggressively. " **feared Kyuubi no Kitsune!** " the Kyuubi roared out flashing his large sharp canines.

Naruto's first instinct was to run at the sheer size of the creature behind the gate. Then his eyes widened and turned to stars as he saw the large fox standing in front of him. Out of everything he could find in this terrible sewer, he didn't expect to find a large amazing fox! He fought down the sudden urge to pet the giant fox and chose to just stare.

The Kyuubi, also known as Kurama eyed the kit strangely. He expected a bit more terror, fear, maybe even anger from the kit. No, instead the blond kit stared at him with so much awe confused him. Then again, his form is spectacular and deserved more love and devotion. Deciding to try and get his desired effect, he coughed into his large paw, " **Did you not hear me whelp!? I am the great Kyuubi no Kitsune. The strongest of the nine bijuu! My very existence causes destruction and terror from my very presence!** " The Kyuubi roared with pride.

Naruto was taken out of his awe when the majestic fox roared at him again. He didn't know what a bijuu was, but apparently, he is the strongest. Then something clicked in Naruto's head as he reviewed what he had just been told more closely. He eyed the giant kitsune behind the steel gate critically before the gears in his mind clicked into place. "Wait, are you Kurama!?" Naruto shouted back at the fox with wide eyes.

Kurama just blinked dumbly at the blond-haired kit. ' _ **This is unexpected…**_ " the nine-tailed fox thought. Somehow, instead of getting the desired fear, it just got him more interested. Not only that, this human somehow knew his name. He needed answers from the kit and was going to get them dammit! " **How do you know my name human?** " Kyuubi questioned in a more dangerous tone.

"Kenichi told me about you!" Naruto shouted back. He still hadn't figured out that the Kyuubi could hear him just fine and wasn't really yelling at him, he just has a loud voice. But, he is too excited to finally meet the leader of the kitsunes to think about that.

Kurama's eyes narrowed at the kit's answer and studied him critically. ' _ **Kenichi knows better then to give my name away so carelessly…**_ ' he thought seriously. He decided to go through the kits memories and figure out what is going on. He watched the kit's life flash through his mind. The kit was treated like a demon for housing him, watching all the neglect, abuse and hatred slowly destroy the kit. He saw the kit get ambushed at a park and wake up in a forest surrounded by his children. Much to his surprise, he watched the kit enter the Kitsune Sanctuary. He smiled as he watched the kit with his children. " **I see kit, yes my name is Kurama.** " The large kitsune responded in a much friendlier tone.

"So why are you in a sewer? I thought you were supposed to be inside me." Naruto asked, very much confused why the awesome fox was living in a damp place like a sewer and not a forest or a cave. Then he voiced another question, "Why am I in a sewer?" he said blinking dumbly.

" **I am inside you kit, this is what your mind looks like.** " Kurama said with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Frankly, his mind is in terrible condition.

It felt like someone slapped his bowl of ramen out of his hands. ' _My mind is a sewer!? How is that fair!_ ' he mentally yelled. Deciding to voice his opinions, "Why is my mind a sewer!?" Naruto shouted in shock.

" **Your mind reflects your life, and in your short life you've been treated as trash, so your mind becomes a place suited for it.** " The Kyuubi stated calmly. He normally wouldn't be this helpful, or even kind to his warden, but this kit has fox blood and is welcomed in by his kind. In his eyes, that made him one of his own children. He wondered how the kit even had fox blood in him.

"Can I change it?" Naruto asked. He rather it be something nicer, not something so depressing.

" **Yes and no. It will change as your mind heals from the damage that your short life has endured. It could take years before your mind changes into something healthier.** " Kurama answered.

Naruto looked down at the water watching his reflection, slightly put down from the fact that his mind took the shape of a sewer. With a heavy sigh he looked back up to the mighty fox, "Thank you Kurama, for answering my questions." He said with a small smile.

The nine-tailed fox sat down with his tails resting in the water. " **It's not a problem kit.** " Kurama responded with a fanged smile.

Naruto looked around the room and frowned, "So, how do I release you? I don't like seeing you trapped in a sewer." Naruto asked in curiosity. He knew Kurama's family was worried sick about him, and knowing he is trapped in a sewer might upset them.

Kurama stared at the kit with wide eyes. For years he wanted his freedom and tried to manipulate his last two hosts and this one just wants to. Kurama thought this over. ' _ **If the kit pulled off the seal, I could break out easily, but it would kill him painfully. From his memories, it seems like my children have a plan for getting me out soon.**_ ' He mused, then decided to answer, " **You aren't able to release me.** " He lied smoothly.

"Oh…" Naruto said sadly looking back down at his feet. That wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. He couldn't free him or even make the living conditions better, that made him feel bad.

Kurama sensed the negative emotions welling up inside the blond kit and tried calming him down. " **While you can't release me, I believe my children have a plan to free me. Do not worry, I have a feeling I won't be in here much longer.** " The Kyuubi said soothingly. Years ago, Kurama wouldn't have believed he would be trying to cheer up his host. He downright would have laughed at them then ate them for making such a terrible joke. How the tables have turned.

Naruto smiled at the reassurance. Finally, he could no longer hold onto his urges that were screaming at him. "Can I please pet you?" he asked randomly.

The nine-tailed fox, strongest bijuu alive, walking disaster stared blankly at the question the kit just asked. " **On normal circumstances, I normally wouldn't allow you to pet me. Just this once, I'll allow it.** " Kurama said carefully. The kit squealed happily and ran forward into the large cage. If this was anyone else, he would have immediately killed the kit and taken over his body.

Naruto couldn't contain the giddy feeling as he ran into the dark cage. He didn't get the chance to pet the kitsune when they found him in the forest, he was scared at the time. When they were in their human form, it felt awkward to try and pet their tails. Finally, he was given the chance to pet his very first fox. And pet the giant fox he did; his fur is the softest thing he had ever felt. It is more comfortable then his bed and his legendary tree branch. ' _Does every fox have soft fur like this? I wonder if Akane-chan has soft fur…_ ' he thought, already planning to find out.

Kurama watched the kit pet and rub his face into his fur with amusement. His own children once did this to him when they were young. Those were happier times before he was imprisoned inside that damn women. ' _ **No use thinking about her, she's already dead.**_ ' He mused. He laid back down on the ground and closed his eyes letting the blond-haired kit play in his fur.

A while passed and Naruto found himself resting against the large fox. His hands had gotten tired after petting him for what felt like an hour. Kurama had snorted when he had collapsed with exhaustion.

" **Kit, it's morning. Time for you to get going.** " Kurama mumbled.

"It is? How do I leave?" Naruto asked curiously. Honestly, he didn't even know how he got to this room to begin with. He didn't think he could find his way back to the beginning.

" **It's your mind kit, just will yourself to wake up.** " The fox stated.

"Oh, I forgot." Naruto said lamely. It took Kurama every ounce of strength to not face-palm. He had truly forgotten he was in his own mind due to fluff overdose. "See you later Kurama!" he chirped happily and blinked out of existence.

" **Goodbye kit.** " He said as his voice echoed off the cold sewer walls. His body rested in the cold sewer water making him uncomfortable. Sighing in annoyance, he closed his eyes and tried to fall back to sleep. He wouldn't be here much longer.

* * *

A/N - The third hokage finally realized that Naruto is missing after deciding to finally meet the boy. A little too late sadly, but I think Naruto got something better then the old man! Not only that, but the Masumi clan experienced the ramen monster in action, and did Akane, Aki, and Danno actually make a pact to keep our hero from ramen!?

On a more serious note, I wrote my very first fight scene. I have no experience in writing fights, and I'm extremely nervous I failed horribly at it. Please tell me what you think of the spar, and leave any criticism you can think of! I'll continue to strive to be better.

Not only that, but Naruto finally met Kurama. Did I do a good job with Kurama and Naruto's introduction? ...I just realized something... and I'm going to pretend I didn't and write it in next chapter... haha...ha...ha...

Thank you for reading chapter three of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you enjoyed it and decide to come back for chapter four! I'm super excited for chapter four!

If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N - Hello everyone! Welcome back to the fourth installment of Kitsune Sanctuary! This took far longer then I expected it would and shared what happened in 'Death Watching' which I totally recommend by the way.

So much positive feedback, it makes me want to continue writing! Like always though, please make sure to offer some criticism so I can improve as an author! Keep speculating and discussing aspects of the story. It's so enjoyable when you find little secrets I put into the stories. Like for example, did you know I've already mentioned Sai once in this story?

=Reviews=

 **Eddyforty** \- In this story he does. ;D

 **Doomqwer** \- I hope it changes a lot of things, I don't want this being a cookie cutter story!

 **TigrezzTail** \- I'm trying to keep Naruto himself while not making him a complete idiot. He keeps his quirks that make him fun. I'm glad I did decently on the fighting scene and hope you continue to enjoy them. I hope I continue to improve them. I wanted to give Kurama hope towards his freedom and give him an understanding of what is happening outside the seal. Imagine Kurama being ripped out of Naruto in the middle of Sanctuary and going on a rampage. Awkward...

 **ThraintarIronshield** \- I'm trying not to rush the story but I've realized I can't take my sweet time on it by going day to day. Yes, Naruto ramen addiction stays! It's what makes Naruto, well... Naruto! I tried to keep Kurama himself in a general sense. No genderbender this time! Could Naruto have Kurama as a sensei? Maybe... that could be intersting. I'm not stating if Naruto will or will not go back to Konoha, but he will NOT be a shinobi for that village. If Naruto did go to Konoha, I could see him bring his group with him.

 **Lightfang** \- I appreciate your input, and hope you keep coming back for more!

 **Shapeshifter340** \- Thank you, hope to see you around in the reviews!

 **FCY Warrior** \- The future is always changing. I'm glad that you enjoyed the third chapter and hope you enjoy this chapter as well. I'm glad you enjoyed seeing Lord Third going through a normal day in his life and realizing how bad he might have messed up. *Phew* Glad I got multiple people enjoying the fight scenes, I'm always terrified to write those. But I need practice for when I get into the serious fights. Perhaps Kurama could and should have been more agressive towards Naruto, but I believe I did alright with it. ...awkward... hehe... guess you get a new chapter as soon as you get back! XD

 **Soulhope The Wolf** \- Naruto using a European style long sword... Well, i'll tell you one thing. Naruto's not getting a normal sword. But it will still.. somewhat (?) fit in with the theme of the story. I don't plan on giving him a generic sword, at least not forever. I have an entire arc planned around a blade already. However, I will keep your idea locked in my head in case I decide to change some things. Hope you continue to read either way!

 **Kaizon** **- _chan_** \- Please, call me Chase! Anyways, have you ever been afraid that if you do something so drastic to a fan loved character you will garnish hate for it? I fear that my friend. The only thing I can say without spoiling anything is to continue reading and I hope I satisfy you. I apologise for the slow down in chapters, and I'm going to continue writing because it's what I love!

 **Banjo the Fox** \- Thank you, that means a lot. I hope you continue to read my story.

 **Delta4phoenix** \- In this story, that's why it's a sewer. Other stories see it differently then I do, but I like my idea and used it. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and my awesome characters. I was afraid they would be plain and boring, but I'm trying really hard to make them unique in there own ways. Quirks, quirks everywhere!

 **Guests** \- You are correct my guest of the story. Hiruzen never met Naruto, and without that special bond... what is Konoha to Naruto?

Please enjoy the story everyone!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

* * *

=The Masumi Clan, Naruto=

Naruto opened his dull sapphire eyes and stared up at the roof blearily. He stretched his arms above his head wiggling his fingers before rubbing his eyes tiredly. His arms fell limply like wet noodles to his sides as he continued to lazily stare up at the ceiling still trying to wake up completely. His eyes slowly changed from a dull blue to a bright endless ocean filled with energy. With a healthy yawn he folded over the comforter and kicked his legs over the edge of his bed. His feet touched the cold wooden flooring while he hunched over with his arms resting on his legs.

He stood up lazily stretching his arms above his head again getting an audible pop from his joints. With a comfortable sigh he walked over to the bathroom ignoring the slight creaking of the flooring and raised the toilet seat to relieve himself. A few seconds later he put the toilet seat down and flushed before walking over to the bathroom sink to wash his hands. He turned on the water and waited a few seconds for it to heat up before scrubbing his hands with scentless soap. With the Kitsunes having such sensitive noses they needed to use scentless shampoos to not overwhelm their senses.

Looking into the mirror in front of him as he brushed his teeth, he took a moment to stare at his own reflection. He finally grew enough to not have to use the footstool for simple hygienic tasks like brushing his teeth or washing his hands. Not much really changed other then the height difference which he is content with for now. Finishing with brushing his teeth he spit then rinsed his mouth with water. Giving a quick full mouth smile in the mirror he turned to continue his routine.

Hoping in the shower he quickly bathed himself using the same brand of scentless shampoo that everyone else used. The only difference is he didn't have to pamper a fluffy tail or ears like the rest of them. He remembered when he first arrived how strange and amazing it was to see all the kitsune people, but after a while he felt like he stood out a lot. Sure, he has fox blood in him, but not the appendages to go with it.

Turning off the water he got out of the shower and dried himself off before walking out of the bathroom to dress himself. He reached into his dresser and pushed his secret stash of instant ramen out of the way to get to his clothes. Ever since the dubbed 'Ramen Incident', the Masumi clan went out of their way to keep him from ramen. He managed to locate a ramen black market that would sell him instant ramen. ' _Bless that ramen stand._ ' He thought as he pulled out his outfit for the day. A simple burnt orange short-sleeve t-shirt and beige cargo shorts. Once he was dressed he turned to leave the room. "Good morning Kurama, ready for another eventful day!" he shouted mentally in his normal happy attitude.

" **Sure thing, brat.** " The nine-tailed kitsune responded from inside the seal. At some point in time the giant kitsune decided that calling me kit is to affectionate and changed it to brat instead. In a way though, brat is just a manlier way of calling him kit.

Naruto could still remember the day he woke up after meeting the amazing nine-tailed fox. He immediately went to tell Kenichi about it and was joined by Akane on his way. It had been one of his more embarrassing moments.

 _*_ _Flashback *_

Naruto's eyes opened slowly staring at the ceiling in his new room. He felt like he needed to do something important, but his mind hadn't one hundred percent caught up yet. He blinked once, twice, three times when his eyes shot open. The thing he needed to do came to him quickly. ' _I need to tell Kenichi about Kurama!'_ he realized.

Throwing his blanket off him, he jumped out of bed and quickly relieved himself. Looking towards the shower he briefly considered jumping in but figured he could shower after he shared his experience with the clan leader. Running out of the bathroom he grabbed the doorknob leading to the hallway. He opened it and quickly closed it behind him forgetting to change his clothes in the process.

He took off down the many halls of the Masumi clan compound dressed in his plain crimson red pajamas trying to locate Kenichi, the eight tailed vulpine. His mind started playing through the newly discovered information he got gifted in his dreams. He didn't really appreciate the fact that his own mind somehow became a sewer. Aki would probably tease him on that fact. Though she might be jealous that he got to pet the most powerful, amazing, awesome, super fox that has ever existed. He was so caught up in his deep thinking he didn't seem to notice as he walked right past Akane.

"Morning to you as well Naru-kun." A familiar voice rang out from behind him causing him to stop in his tracks. He turned around to see Akane walking towards him at a placate pace with a slight pout. She is still in her morning ware consisting of a dark blood red robe with gold lining with 'A.M." adorned by her heart. "Where are you off to so fast that you would ignore me?" she said with a cute pout.

His hand immediately went to the back of his head while looking quite sheepish. He didn't even notice her which made him feel slightly bad, what made it worse was the fact she is sad that he didn't. He never wanted to directly or indirectly harm his new family. "Sorry Akane-chan, I was lost in thought." He said with a sheepish chuckle, "I'm trying to find Kenichi."

She yawned into her hand before rubbing her right eye tiredly. "Oh?" she said rising to right brow, "What do you need tou-san for?" she asked curiously. Stopping right in front of Naruto she tilted her head to the side cutely while staring at him. Her original plan was to see if Aki wanted to bathe with her, but her curiosity was peeked.

"It's a long story but I met Kurama last night." He replied with a slight shrug and sigh. He had no reason to hide the fact that he met her grandfather from her, especially since it was her grandfather to begin with.

Akane's eyes widened marginally at that bit of information. She has always wanted to meet her grandfather and she is finally getting closer and closer to meeting him. A spark of jealously ran through her at the thought of Naruto meeting him first but quickly dismissed it. "That's great! Tou-san should be in his office dealing with paperwork, I'll come with you." She stated now completely awake.

"Alright, thanks Akane-chan!" he said with a bright smile towards Akane. He stepped aside and allowed her to take the lead since he was still learning the layout of his new home. They walked in silence through the halls, but he could tell that she is excited. How you may ask? Her cute fluffy tails danced behind her. He resisted the urge to touch them for now. Naruto could understand the basic concept of her excitement though. The idea of meeting a lost family member that you thought you'd never get the chance to meet would make anyone happy. He absently wondered if his parents wanted him.

They both stopped in front of familiar red rice paper sliding doors that led into Kenichi's office. The same office he officially met both Kenichi and Akane. They were just about to knock on the door when they heard voices from behind it. "Give me a full report on the rescue of our scouting team." Kenichi's voice said from the opposite side of the door. The tone he took up was completely different from any other time he talked with him.

"After my team left Sanctuary, we immediately went to their last known location. It took a day of traveling while covering our tracks to reach their location. After reaching the scene, we found the tracks of the three missing kitsunes. We followed them closely until we arrived at one of their camps. We noticed human tracks treading into their camp where the kitsunes tracks ended.

"From what information we managed to gather, they were most likely caught unaware as there were no signs of a battle. We followed the tracks until we located a small encampment of vile humans. They had cages filled with human women and a smaller cage with our missing scout team. From what we managed to pick up from conversations throughout the camp, it was some sort of slave trade run by a man named Gato.

"We waited until the moon hung in the middle of the sky and struck them in their drunken and sleeping state. We killed them all quickly, efficiently, and burned the whole encampment to the ground. We released the prisoners and our kin then escorted the humans towards the nearest human settlement. Afterwards we quickly returned to Sanctuary with our kin in hands and left them with the Fumiko." An unknown woman's voice stated in a cold professional voice. Naruto took note that she said 'human' with a hint of venom every time she mentioned his race. Though, that is slightly debatable with the fox blood coursing through his veins.

There was a short pause after the unknown woman finished speaking. Naruto thought that maybe they realized Akane and him were listening in but was proven wrong when Kenichi started speaking again. "I see, do you know of their plans for our three kitsunes?" he asked in a tired voice. From the sound of his voice, he had a pretty good idea of what they were going to do to them.

"From a conversation we overheard while scouting out the camp, they assumed that they were a rare fox breed and planned on selling them as pets or skinning them for pelts." The unknown woman spoke up and this time there was no mistaking the anger laced in her words. It made you wonder if something like this has happened before.

"I'm glad you reached them in time before something like that could happen." Kenichi said with a thankful tone. "What do we know on this Gato man?" he asked, his voice taking a dangerous edge. Kenichi clearly did not like this man already, and neither did Naruto or Akane from what they heard so far.

"We cross-referenced Gato's name with other scout reports and discovered some troubling information. His name came up quite a lot in the underworld and is an upcoming crime lord. He appears to be succeeding as well." The woman informed the clan head with complete honesty.

The room went quiet for a moment as Kenichi seemed to ponder over the information given to him. "Is he a threat to us?" he asked seriously.

Another short pause. "I believe if given enough time he could become a threat." She paused slightly, "At this current time, no. More of an inconvenience for us but a threat to humans. I suspect in the next few years he may attempt a takeover of a small country or expand his slave trading ring." She replied professionally, a small hint of venom lacing the word human again.

"I see, if he is not a threat to us, we will ignore him for now." Kenichi commented, "Thank you for your help Erza, you saved three young lives today." He said in a thankful tone.

"I would have helped no matter what, I would never allow three young kits to be killed by humans." The newly named Erza commented, "Also, we seem to have two ease droppers that don't understand privacy." She said idly quickly sliding the door open causing Naruto and Akane to fall in.

A heavy sigh came from Kenichi, "Akane, Naruto, you two should know better then to ease drop on other people's conversations." He said sternly. When he saw both of their expressions, he sighed again. Both have the expression of being caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Naruto finally got a look at the woman that ratted them out. She stood at 5'9" and has a firm posture. Her long hair is a lighter shade of red compared to Akane with streaks of auburn running through it and framed her face. Her eyes are a mystical amethyst with the familiar slit. She wore a jet-black long-sleeve shirt with chainmail underneath, dark grey pants and open-toed boots. Two sword handles rested above her shoulders, but the most noticeable part were the seven red and auburn tails moving energetically behind her.

"So, you're the boy whose been causing quite the stir in Sanctuary." Erza said confidently while she narrowed her eyes at the blond on the ground. The lack of any recognizable kitsune parts made her want to kill the questionable human child, but her rational brain commanded her to stay her hand. The fact that he is even able to be in Kitsune Sanctuary meant he is at least some part fox. The whisker marks on his cheeks could be a kitsune defining trait.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly, "That might be me…" he commented idly rubbing the back of his head which was very quickly becoming a defining character trait. He didn't realize him being in the Sanctuary was that big of a deal.

"What brings you to my office Naruto, Akane?" Kenichi questioned causing all three participants in the room to look at him. He hoped they didn't decide to ease drop on his conversations just because they were bored.

"Oh!" Naruto shouted suddenly, his sapphire eyes lighting up in recognition. "I spoke with Kurama last night!" he said enthusiastically. Two of the three kitsunes eyes lit up in shock at that bit of information. He didn't think it should be that surprisingly with that fact that Kurama is sealed inside of him.

"Explain in detail what happened Naruto." Kenichi said sternly. He's missed his father like the rest of his siblings and they've all desperately wanted to speak with him again. Maybe Kurama gave them some insight. He noticed Erza and Akane looking directly at Naruto expectantly.

"Well, I woke up in a sewer which from what Kurama told me is what my mind looks like." Naruto said right off the bat with a wave of depression. "Anyways, I wondered around the sewers for a while going through some… experiences." He stated getting some raised eyebrows. "I eventually ran into Kurama where he called me his warden and started ranting about his titles and power for a bit." He said absently getting the three kitsune to sweat a little at the complete lack of respect.

"I finally realized the giant fox is actually Kurama, I told him that and he questioned me on how I knew his name. I told him you told me, and he suddenly got quiet and stared blankly for a while. Next thing I know he's calling me kit which is cool." Naruto said with a cheerful smile getting a slight smile from Kenichi. "I asked him why he was in a sewer and why I was in a sewer and he explained how my mind works. I then asked how to free him, but he said that I couldn't and had to wait on you to free him instead." He said getting a curious look from two of the three kitsune.

Kenichi knew that wasn't entirely true, there is always a way for the sacrifice to release their demon. The fact that Kurama told him otherwise means he sees Naruto as a kit and not a human. It's possible he has some fox ancestry that were not aware of and Kurama knows, or it could just be for the fact he is in the Sanctuary at all.

"Then the greatest thing ever happened!" Naruto shouted out excitedly practically jumping up and down. "I asked Kurama if I could pet him and he said yes! I ran over and pet him for hours! His fur is so soft and comfy and awesome!" Naruto shouted in glee getting blank looks from everyone in the room. They listened on as Naruto continued for the next ten minutes of describing his petting session with their father/grandfather.

"T-that's nice Naruto is that all that my father said?" Kenichi asked breaking Naruto out of his rant. He found it cute at first, but the boy seemed to have a slight obsession with certain things. Ramen and foxes which we either serve or are in general. ' _This really is a sanctuary for him…_ ' Kenichi thought.

"Yup." Naruto said a little downtrodden from being interrupted in the middle of his petting rant. Suddenly a desire he had been resisting for a while reappeared in Naruto's poor mind. His eyes idly wandered over to Akane where he stared at her for a bit. Her two fluffy tails dancing back and forth behind her.

"W-what are you staring at me for?" Akane stuttered slightly at her new friend's eyes locking on to her. His gaze is so intense, but she could tell he was in deep thought.

"Akane, can I pet your tails?" the young blond said in the most serious tone he could muster. He watched as Akane's face took on a new shade of red that he hadn't seen before. He also noted that her tails suddenly hid themselves behind her back. He was so busy staring at Akane he failed to notice the flabbergasted looks Kenichi and Erza were giving him.

"Naruto, you can't just ask a girl that!" Akane shouted in embarrassment. She had noticed that he would occasionally stare at her tails, but to come out and ask such a question in public! Not to mention how he asked it so seriously.

"Why not?" Naruto asked completely innocently with a face full of confusion. He didn't see the problem, if he had tails he would pet them all the time.

"You just… you just… you just don't!" Akane argued absently taking in the now looks of amusement her tou-san and Erza are giving her. ' _How dare they find amusement in my embarrassment!_ ' she thought angrily, but quickly melted under Naruto's innocent eyes. "Naruto, asking to pet someone's tails is really personal." She stated getting a slight nod of understanding from Naruto and complete nod of approval from her tou-san. Like lightning, an idea suddenly struck her. She easily suppressed her mischievous smile; Aki would be so proud. "However, I will allow you to pet my tails this one time." She said with an innocent smile taking pleasure in her father's sudden pale face.

Naruto's smile could have rivaled the sun at her answer. He wasted no time and rushed over to her quickly feeling up her soft, fluffy tails. He easily lost himself in fluffy heaven not noticing the atomic shade of red Akane's face is taking. Nor did he notice the pale face of a father looking at them in horror. He certainly didn't notice Erza looking back and forth between two kids and horrified father with amusement.

* _Flashback End_ *

He snapped out of his slightly embarrassing memory as he arrived at the dining room. He could hear three familiar voices chatting inside. Sliding open the door he is greeted with the familiar sight of his three best friends, Akane, Aki, and Danno. All three of them are sitting down chatting with each other picking at their usual breakfast. "Morning Akane-chan, Aki-chan, Danno." Naruto called out grabbing the attention the kitsunes attention.

"Naru-kun. / Fishy-chan! / Naruto." All three greeted him in their own unique way, however one still caused an irritable twitch. After years of self-discipline, he managed to mostly control the eye twitch at Aki's nicknames. She would get what is coming to her one day, one day indeed.

"Sleep well Naru-kun?" Akane asked with a gentle smile. In Naruto's short time in the Sanctuary, he managed to become one of her closest friends. He just seemed to emanate an aura of warmth and kindness that made you want to smile and be near him.

"Of course." Naruto replied calmly sitting down in his usual seat. His stomach rumbled looking down at his breakfast. Grilled fish with a small bowl of white rice. A fresh crisp garden salad and a bowl of miso soup. This had become his usual breakfast he woke up to which was almost as delicious as ramen. He started picking at his grilled fish savoring the taste before asking, "So, you three have any plans for today?"

"I plan on practicing my kenjutsu for a few hours." Akane answered with a shrug as she finished off her bowl of rice. Since she started teaching Naruto on the basics of kenjutsu, it renewed her love for the art. It helped that he wasn't half bad either, at Aki's level of skill but with his creative thinking added in.

"Ooo, do you need a sparring partner!" Aki asked excitedly, always willing to fight her rival. Kenjutsu is in her blood and her blood starts pumping every time she draws her blade, wooden or not. She wondered what real combat is like.

"I wouldn't mind a spar as well…" Danno said lazily while picking at his garden salad. He enjoyed sparring as much as the next kitsune, but he took more of a love in the forging process. He studied the art a lot and looked forward to creating his first masterpiece in the future.

"I'm always willing to crush you under my foot Aki-chan." Akane said in a sweet tone which caused both Danno and Naruto to sweat a little. They both didn't really understand their strange rivalry but didn't question it.

"You say that now, but one day it'll be you under my foot!" Aki tittered maniacally causing Danno and Naruto to sweat just a tad bit more.

"Maybe if you stop being so predictable." Akane said shrugging off her confidence like an annoying nat. Unlike Naruto who came into a fight with at least a change up in plans, Aki just went for the same basic slashes. She is still fun to fight, but to easy. ' _Maybe Naruto's creativity could rub off on her?_ ' A chill went down her spine at that thought.

That paused her crazed laughing. "I am not predictable!" she yelled out like someone had just killed her puppy. Her movements are completely genius and thoughtful! Her slashes are always aimed at vital spots meant to end a fight quickly and efficiently.

"Yes, you are." Akane rebutted.

"No, I'm not!" Aki argued shaking her head.

Before the argument could take off any further, Naruto butted into the conversation. "I wouldn't mind taking a swing at kenjutsu again." He said purposely making a fantastic pun in his opinion. It did not go unnoticed.

"…that was terrible." Danno said after a few seconds of silence. The two other kitsunes nodded their head in agreement at the terrible pun their blond friend made. You could almost hear crickets chirping at the lameness.

At speeds that could rival even the fastest creatures alive, Naruto is suddenly in a corner of the room sulking. A dark cloud illusion formed above his head casting down a ferocious storm. "It wasn't that bad…" he commented lowly.

All three of them stared at the blond with blank stares. He has a powerful and strangely entertaining power to make anything dramatic. He can also subconsciously create illusions to express him emotions. The thunderstorm seemed to represent sulking. Akane coughed into her hand, "Anyways, I think it would be fun to spar with you Naru-kun." She said gently which in turn caused Aki to pout.

Naruto immediately perked up doing a complete one-eighty in his emotions. "That'd be great Akane-chan!" Naruto chirped with a full-blown grin. He found that kenjutsu felt right to him. He picked up the basic rather easily, or so he was told by his three friends. He could still remember training with Akane early on.

* _Flashback_ *

Naruto's body hit the ground roughly. "Ugh, why do you always have to hit so hard…" Naruto moaned in pain, "I think Aki's right about your nickname red devil." He wheezed out. He had gone in for a suto-fatal slice on her chest but got countered easily. He looked up at that smug look Akane is giving him and sent her a half-hearted glare.

"Stop being such a baby. How are you supposed to learn if I don't take advantage of your opening?" She smirked while nodding her head sagely. Her belief in training is to be rough. If you make a mistake that could end up being fatal in a battle, best to correct it now. Whenever she noticed a slight opening or flaw in anyone's technique she would take complete advantage. Did she cause them a lot of pain? Yes, she would admit to that. Would this someday save her friends lives? Hopefully.

Finally catching his breath, he responded keeping his lukewarm glare. "I'm still new to this, so of course I'm going to have openings dattebayo!" Naruto shouted with his infamous verbal tic reeling its head.

Akane's smirk grew wider when she heard that. "Exactly why I'm taking advantage of them early on. That way you won't have to deal with them in the future. Better to work out the kinks early on, dattebayo." She replied smoothly teasing his verbal tic at the end.

"…I'm starting to think you just like hitting people." Naruto deadpanned completely ignoring her theft of his personal verbal tic. He is pretty sure that it's somehow copyrighted.

Akane replied by turning her head to side and whistling innocently. She wouldn't lie and say she didn't get a little pleasure from beating her opponents into the dirt, she just wouldn't say that out loud. Her cute innocent image would be crushed!

Naruto stood back up holding onto his wooden ninjatō. He took the basic stance of the Masumi clan style prepared to fight Akane again. His left foot is extended and rotated for easy counters while his right foot hung back for an easy retreat. His wooden ninjatō is angled downwards held with both hands prepped to attack. He knew his stance isn't perfect yet, but Akane had a rough way of beating it into him.

"Your stance is getting better, but still to rigid. When tou-san taught me this he gave me exercises to help my body be more flexible. We'll have to look into that for you." Akane said to the blond who nodded in response. She took up the same stance as Naruto but hers is more refined and relaxed. She had mastered the basics of her families kenjutsu style, and it is the only reason she felt comfortable teaching Naruto at all. "Begin on your mark Naruto." She ordered.

"Alright, three, two, one, hajime!" Naruto shouted rushing towards Akane quickly to get some ground. He swung his blade upwards with all his strength and speed he could muster. His wooden blade almost hit true before being blocked by Akane's blade with ease.

"I know I'm wearing red Naruto, but you shouldn't charge at me like a bull." Akane quirked with a cheeky smile while putting pressure against her opponent's blade. She noticed him starting to lose to the pressure and quickly back off. She did not let him gain any ground however and went in for a slash towards his right hip.

Naruto saw this attack coming and moved quickly to try and block the attack, this appeared to be the wrong move as the attack broke his stance completely leaving him wide open. This didn't go unrewarded as he was once again punted onto the floor. "How are you so good at this? You're only a few months older then I am!" Naruto exclaimed.

"A blade has always felt comfortable in my hand, and as the heir to the Masumi clan, it would only make sense that I would be good at our clan's specialty." Akane stated calmly reaching her hand out for Naruto. She is considered a prodigy with limitless talent in kenjutsu and hoped to one day make her clan proud.

The young blond reached out and grabbed her hand and pulled himself up. "That makes sense, but one day I'm going to be just as good as you!" Naruto shouted with determination. Kenjutsu felt right to him as well, he wondered if maybe his parents practiced the art at all. Maybe one day he would find out.

* _Flashback End_ *

Naruto sat back down with the three chatting about kenjutsu while finishing their delicious breakfast. He felt something running down his mouth and wiped it with his hand. Thick crimson liquid appeared on his hand, he wiped his nose again and noticed that he had a bloody nose. His vision blurred slightly before returning to normal. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his hand clean ignoring it for now.

An hour later Naruto, Akane, Aki, and Danno are standing on their personal training field. Each held their own wooden ninjatō ready to spar each other. "So how are we doing this today?" Naruto asked excitedly ready to spar again. He wanted to fight Akane again and finally knock her down a friendly peg or two.

"Hmm…" Aki hummed lightly garnishing the attention of everyone there, "We could do a free for fall!" she chirped. They had done a free for all once before when Naruto was still learning the basics, and they had taken him out quickly. In the end Akane won like usual after tactfully taking her and Danno down.

"Or we could do a tournament style." Danno through his idea out there. A free for all sounded far too bothersome. "It could be Naruto verse me and you verse Akane. Winners of each match verse each other." He said with a shrug.

Akane looked up into the sky with her eyes closed pondering both suggestions. The free for all sounded like a lot of fun, and they might all target her which would be an interesting experience. The Tournament sounded more like a fun game to play though. Her tails perked up as she nodded in thought. "I say we go with Danno's idea, it'll be more fun." Akane put in her suggestion.

"It's settled then, tournament it is!" Naruto said punching his left palm with his fist. Akane and Aki back away leaving Danno and him room to spar. The both took up the Masumi clan style. Both were refined but Naruto's is still slightly ridged in areas.

"Are you both ready?" Aki asked Danno and Naruto getting a nod from each of them. "Then, hajime!" she shouted.

Naruto charged towards Danno going for a simple slash upwards like he usually started off. He swears he heard Akane mumble something about still being a bull but put it off. He watched with keen eyes as Danno went to parry his blow but quickly stopped his attack and reversed it towards his side.

Danno's eyes widened at the change of attack but quickly jumped backwards from the attack. He smirked lazily at Naruto who charged back at him again. It looked like they still hadn't beat the rushing tactic out of his head yet. Mentally shrugging his shoulders, he thrust his blade forward waiting for the blond to run into the tip. He watched the blond sidestep the attack and slash at his neck. Taking advantage of the slight opening he swung his wooden blade hard against Naruto's sword arm causing him to wince and stumble backwards.

Naruto's right arm throbbed in pain from the attack. He had hoped he was fast enough to get his attack off, but clearly, he didn't. Unlike Akane or Aki who were far more aggressive in their fighting, Danno is more laid back and strategical. He watched your movement and went in for more decisive strikes or used you to make his own attacks. He decided to play the fool to lure in Danno.

Greenish-silver eyes narrowed at the blonde's sapphire. The blond was still wincing and looked to be in more pain then he anticipated. With quick thinking he decided to take the upper hand and went to end the fight with a quick slash at his heart. He didn't see the blonde's smirk until it was too late and collapsed onto the ground. His ankle got hit hard and throbbed in pain, but just as he was about to get up he felt the wooden ninjatō at his neck. "Well played playing possum Naruto." Danno complimented while rubbing his sore ankle.

"I try to be surprisingly Danno." Naruto chuckled help Danno up. They walked over to the sidelines while both Akane and Aki took their own positions. "Who do you think I'm losing to?" he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Probably Akane." Danno responded with a slight chuckle himself. "Are you both ready?" He called over to the two redheads getting a nod in return. "Ready, set, hajime!" he called out signaling the start of the next spar.

"Destiny just can't seem to keep us apart my rival!" Aki shouted in glee as she blocked a swipe at her ribs. Akane didn't even give her time to monologue like usual, how sad.

"Apparently destiny likes seeing you lose to me a lot then." Akane retorted continuing her aggressive assault on her fellow kitsune. She went in for another swipe at her ribs but changed directions at the last moment striking her left arm.

Aki cringed, she is going to be feeling that later tonight. She put the pain to the side burner and tried to break off the defensive. Noticing the blade coming from the side again she ducks underneath it and thrust her blade forward nicking at her opponent's thigh. Taking use of her first attack she went on the offensive and slammed her sword into Akane's hip, or at least tried to.

Akane felt a twinge of pain shoot through her leg but ignored it seeing Aki trying to get off the defensive. She should have expected her to dodge underneath instead of attempting to parry again. She wouldn't allow Aki to get in such a fatal hit on her though, pride demanded that. Her sword blocked the other blade with a loud clank sound. Putting as much force into her blade she pushed her opponent's blade into the ground then slammed the pommel of her blade into Aki's gut. She watched her opponent cough off some spittle while collapsing on the ground. Another victory for her.

"Why do you always slam things into my stomach Akane-chan…" Aki wheezed out.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Akane smiled down at her innocently.

"Sure, you don't." she growled out.

Naruto walked over to Akane while Aki went over to sit by Danno. He felt pity for Aki as he had also been on the receiving side of the deadly kitsunes attacks. "Looks like it's you and me Akane-chan." Naruto commented with a foxy smirk.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you Naru-kun." Akane responded with her own foxy smirk. Her emerald eyes met his sapphire eyes and danced with amusement.

"It would be weird if you did, you brutal kitsune." The blond responded blandly. He didn't expect to win as he had yet win once against her, and he got the lucky strike in occasionally. That did not mean he was going to give up without showing her how much he's practiced!

"Sheesh, you monologue just as much as Aki." Danno said in exasperation. "You two ready? Then hajime." He called out after getting the familiar nod.

Naruto decided to take a page from Akane's book and not charge at her for once which got a raised eyebrow from said vulpine. He would let her come to him and see where that went. His only chance was to be completely random and rely on luck.

"Finally lose your horns bull-kun?" Akane taunted getting an eye twitch in response. Seeing as he wasn't coming to her, she would just have to go to him instead. She leapt forward bring her sword down towards the blonde's head in a surprise attack to end it quickly. Unluckily for her, he sidestepped her move and prepared the counter her quickly. ' _I'm such a good teacher._ ' She smirked internally.

Naruto had expected her to charge or taunt him, not leap into the air bring down her blade with enough force to split his head open. Luckily for him, reflexes trained brutally by said opponent worked in his favor and got him out of the way. He swung his sword purely out of reflex towards her neck but got parried. He swiftly fixed his stance before she could attack again.

She watched him fix his guard back up with a proud smile before she decided to take it up a notch. She rushed at him and swung her sword vertically from the waist to the collarbone. He blocked the attack as she expected him to which gave her the opportunity to get into his guard and give him an elbow into the gut. She watched him stumble backwards but manage to stay on his feet, but he lost his breath. Her blade swiftly strikes at his kidney causing him to cough in pain and went in for the finishing move.

Before he could even defend against the sudden elbow to the gut a sharp pain got inflicted to his left side. He didn't get a chance to respond after that either when he felt her wooden ninjatō at his throat. He lost badly again, but he vowed to one day beat her. "Guess you won… again." Naruto said dejectedly.

"Cheer up Naru-kun, you did really good!" Akane chirped happily at her victory. She had been impressed with his swift reflexes in the beginning of the spar.

Aki and Danno both joined them as they all sat in a circle on the grass. "What a painful spar…" Danno mumbled out getting a deadpan look from Aki and Naruto. As far as they were concerned, he got off easy compared to them.

"Oh guys, guess what!" Akane chirped gathering the attention of everyone, "Tou-son said I'm finally getting a real blade! Isn't that exciting." She said as her eyes glowed with excitement. The paling of her friends faces only added to her enjoyment.

"You are staying with wooden swords in our spars." Naruto and Aki both said at the same time causing them to both look at each other with amusement. "Jinx, Fishy-chan." Aki quickly said happily getting a heavy sigh in return.

"You make it sound like I'll hurt you guys…" Akane pouted. She might scare them a little, but she would never completely harm them. Maybe a nick or a cut here and there to help teach them, but that's all. All three stared at her blankly causing her to pout even more.

Naruto coughed harshly into his hand suddenly. A small wave a nausea hit him, something felt wrong. "Kurama, am I getting sick?" he asked the nine-tailed fox mentally. He was about to ask again until he heard the kitsune answer him.

" **I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but your chakra seems to be fluctuating and reacting to your body harshly.** " Kurama responded looking over the kit's vitals. He could see the kit's chakra changing between green and blue, he had never seen something like this before. " **I'll keep an eye on this and let you know if I find out anything.** " He said with a heavy hum.

"Thanks, Kurama." He kindly replied. For the last couple days, he's been getting nauseous randomly, today is the first day with blurry vision and a bloody nose. He hoped whatever is going on in his body sorts itself out soon.

"You okay Naruto?" Akane asked sincerely with a look of worried followed by Aki and Danno.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Naruto said lightly.

"Okay…" Akane said unsurely but chose to believe him, "It's lunch time and we worked up a good appetite. What should we do for lunch?" She asked feeling hungry.

"Ramen!" Naruto shouted instantly needing no time to think of any other answer. The food of the gods is the only food that would sate Naruto's hunger. For such a divine food to be denied is blasphemy!

"No!" The three kitsunes shouted out instantly. The 'Naruto Ramen Ban' is enforced by them, and they made sure to keep him away from it. They knew how he felt about the food, and if they would have heard his inner thoughts they would have a lot of evidence to support this.

Naruto felt betrayed again, ' _Why do they not understand how amazing ramen is?_ He thought in worry. He sighed in defeat knowing he wouldn't win this battle either. "Fine, what do you want." He asked a little peeved.

"Sushi." Danno answered.

"Barbeque." Aki answered.

"I'm craving Dango strangely…" Akane answered with a shrug. For her that is strange since she doesn't have a very large sweet tooth.

"You always want sushi Danno, and you always want Barbeque Aki-chan!" Naruto said pointing out the hypocrisy, "At least Akane-chan always chooses something random!" he stated loudly. Never made any sense why there isn't a 'Aki and Danno Sushi and Barbeque Ban'.

"Because it's good." Aki and Danno both answered truthfully at the same time making them both smirk at each other. Naruto's eye twitched violently while giving them the hardest stare he could muster.

Akane seeing where this argument is going tried to deflect it. "We had sushi recently, why don't we do barbeque today?" she asked hoping her deflection. It did, score one for Akane!

"That's fine…" Naruto said giving in to his hunger. The others nodded in agreement before getting to head towards Sanctuary. They occasionally went to a barbeque restaurant.

=Kitsune Sanctuary, Barbeque Restaurant=

The restaurant is named 'The Fox-a-Q' which made quite a few people laugh when they first heard it. It's located closer to the center of the Sanctuary and gets a lot of traffic. The building is rather large because of this and can fit a lot of hungry kitsunes. There are multiple ways to enjoy your stay at this place. One such way is ordering a booth with a built-in grill to cook your own meat the way you want. The second way to enjoy is to grab a nice table and order a meal off the menu. They serve beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and other items.

Inside the restaurant you'll find Naruto, Akane, Aki, and Danno sitting at a booth with plates of raw meat ready to be grilled to perfection. They had tried the second option before but found the booth to be a more enjoyable experience. Plus, with this place being relatively popular, you have friends popping up at random to join you for the meal. It just so happened that Hana and Shizuka wandered in and sat down beside them with Shizuka sitting beside Naruto.

"Hi Hana-chan, Shizuka-chan!" Naruto chirped happily at seeing two of his friends.

"Hello Naruto-kun." Hana greet with a friendly smile before turning towards her other friends and greeting them as well with the same friendly smile plastered on her face. Shizuka just bowed her head slightly towards him and looked at the meat in front of her. "So, what did you four do today?" Hana asks kindly, but curious.

"Tournament kenjutsu spar." Danno answered for the group getting a pitying look from Hana.

"How badly did Akane beat you all up this time?" Hana asked with a thin smile. She could appreciate the art, but she didn't enjoy the idea of hurting your friends. She knew that Akane has quite the dark side hidden away behind her innocent demeanor.

"I won against Danno, and Akane won against Aki, she then pummeled me into the ground." Naruto answered truthfully while flipping over a piece of pork. He wasn't ashamed of his loss, he knew full well that Akane is just better.

"I didn't pummel you… you make me sound like a bully." Akane mumbled with a small pout. She went ignored much to her ire, but just sighed and ate a piece of her steak. She preferred her meat medium rare, so she always had to be vigilant.

"What did you two do today?" Naruto asked curious about what his friends did.

Surprisingly it wasn't Hana who answered but Shizuka. "Watched over kits." She answered softly nibbling on a piece of chicken. Her violet eyes would occasionally flicker over to Naruto and her tail rested up against him.

"It was so much fun watching over them too." She squealed happily. She loved taking care of kits, they are adorable, innocent and friendly. The children of the mana clan which they were looking after today are one of the easiest to take care of as well. They are so silent, but oh so adorable. "Remember when you helped watch over some of the kits Naruto-kun?" she chuckled lightly at getting Naruto to blush in embarrassment.

* _Flashback_ *

"Now Naruto, remember that these kits can get a little wild and playful." Hana said to Naruto gently. They are heading over to the Miwa clan to watch over a few kits and Naruto offered to help when she caught him sneaking out of a ramen shack. Now that she thinks about it, ' _Isn't Naruto banned from ramen?_ ' she thought but decided to drop it.

"I think I can handle a couple kids Hana-chan." Said the confident seven-year-old blond boy who had no experience dealing with children. He truly didn't understand just how rambunctious the Miwa clan is. Their children have more energy than some adult kitsune.

"I'm not doubting you Naruto-kun, I'm just letting you know to be mindful." She said placatingly as they arrived at the entrance to the Miwa clan compound. The Miwa clan compound unlike the Masumi clan compound wasn't located on a mountain way off in the distance but a short distance into a forest by the park.

As they arrived they were greeted by the clan leader Natsumi Miwa, who in Naruto's opinion is beautiful. She had a slightly darker shade of blue compared to his own, but they were still pretty. Not only that, she also wore orange which is a big plus in his opinion.

"Ah, Hana-chan, I see you brought along a friend with you." Natsumi said in a sweet voice but there is a hint of playfulness in there. "My name is Natsumi Miwa, leader of this clan. What's your name?" the Miwa clan leader asked but already knew the answer. It is hard not to know about this kid when he holds her father. Not to mention how positive the rumors have been about him.

"Names Naruto, nice to meet you Natsumi-chan!" Naruto answered in his friendly natured which got a healthy laugh out of Natsumi and a small chuckle from Hana.

"I heard you are friends with my daughter Natsuko, she talks about you almost as much as she talks about little Isamu." She said with a fanged grin. She had heard a great deal about how he participated in his daughter's and Isamu's contests. She also liked to rant about how he was her chosen one.

"You're Natsuko's mom?" Naruto asked in surprise, "I didn't know that…" he trailed off.

"Yes, yes, I am." Natsumi replied, "Anyways, are you both ready to take care of some brats?" she asked getting an odd look from Naruto and a nod of understanding from Hana. Her clans kits are a bit energetic.

Before Naruto could question on the brats' part, Hana spoke up, "Yes, we'll take great care of the kits." She said with a kind smile. Maybe she was being slightly mean, but she wanted to see Naruto's reaction to the energetic bunch.

"Alright, follow me." Natsumi said as she started walking away.

Naruto looked around the Miwa clan compound and noticed the main color theme for their compound seemed to be orange instead of the traditional red he's seen everywhere else. He whole heartedly agreed with their color choice. Unlike the Masumi clan compound, the Miwa one has trees everywhere with their very own training course. They also have a lot more open space to run around in. It reminded him of the park.

They arrived at a more open field surrounded by trees with clan buildings scattered in between. "Kids, over here." Natsumi called out. Naruto investigated the direction she called out to and froze. They stopped in front of them and looked up at all of them. "These two will be watching over you today, so be good." Natsumi said then turned around and wished them luck and left.

"Okay you three, introduce yourselves to Naruto-kun." Hana said with a gentle smile as she pointed over to the strangely frozen blond near her. She looked over at him strangely, is he shaking?

"I'm Nami, nice to meet'cha!" the young kit introduced herself. She has round slitted ocean blue eyes like Natsumi and short auburn hair. She's wearing a burnt orange shirt with a black skirt. Her one fluffy auburn tail is the size of her torso.

"Hi, I'm Sora!" another young kit introduced himself. He has round slitted ocean blue eyes and spikey auburn hair. He's wearing a burnt orange shirt with black shorts. Like Nami, his one fluffy auburn tail is the size of his torso.

I'm Natsu." The final kit introduced herself. She has round slitted sky blue eyes and auburn hair done up in a short ponytail. She's wearing a burnt orange shirt with black shorts. Just like the others, she has one fluffy auburn tail the size of her torso.

Naruto stared down at their adorably large round blue eyes staring back up as his. Their ears perked up and their tails swishing back and forth between their bodies. His legs started to shake as he tried desperately to suppress this desire. He fought to the best of his abilities, but it was a losing battle. Once they each tilted their head to the side he lost it. "You guys are so cute!" Naruto squealed in a very unmanly way. He grabbed all three of them and brought them into a big hug.

"Uh, Naruto-kun?" Hana asked questioningly but fell off death's door. She watched him pet each of their tails causing the children to lean into his hands. He occasionally scratched behind their ears but couldn't stop petting them. Eventually one got away from the fluff trap and it evolved into a game of tag. Naruto and the three kits were rolling in the grass and playing with each other all day. It had been one of the easiest jobs she had ever done. Naruto became a favorite over at the Miwa clan as well.

* _Flashback End_ *

Naruto blushed up a storm remembering his unmanly incident, but he couldn't control himself. Plus Nami, Natsu and Sora loved him. "It's not my fault they are so cute…" he mumbled clearly embarrassed over remembering the event.

"Speaking of that, Nami, Natsu, and Sora miss you and want you to come play with them again." Hana said sweetly. Apparently, Naruto has a magic touch that made them want to fall asleep. It also helped that his stamina reserves were almost on par with the Miwa. Naruto is very good playmate according to them.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I've missed them too." He shoved a large piece of freshly grilled pork into his mouth savoring the flavor. Just like before, it happened again, and he felt woozy. His vision blurred slightly before sharpening. ' _They're becoming more frequent now…_ ' he thought as he blinked his eyes a few times.

The conversation changed to just idle chit chat and soon enough an hour passed. They each paid their share and got up and left. Hana and Shizuka went their own way to go meet up with some people. Aki and Danno decided to split off and go wander around the shops for a while leaving Naruto and Akane alone.

"Anything you want to do Naru-kun?" Akane asked her friend. She had noticed him getting slightly paler as lunch went on but didn't comment on it. Though she is worried for him.

Naruto blinked a couple times before looking over towards his best friend. Her eyes were full of worry, she clearly could see something was wrong. "I'm not sure…" Naruto hummed.

"We could go play some games at home." Akane suggested. She wanted Naruto close to home in case he fell ill.

"That sounds good." Naruto said.

=The Masumi Clan Compound=

Naruto and Akane spent a few hours playing strategy games, or anything that didn't require any luck to win in. Naruto liked to play the other games as well, but they didn't like that he always won them. They were just about to finish their last game before dinner when it happened.

"You're getting better at chess Naru-kun." Akane complimented looking down towards the board. The chess board is handcrafted out of solid oak. It's a one of a kind board where the pieces are foxes and the board engraved to look like a forest.

"Thanks…" Naruto said looking down at the chessboard. The last couple moves he started feeling dizzy and his vision started blurring rapidly. Unlike before, his eyesight was not going back to normal. Red droplets started dripping onto the board gathering Akane's attention when he collapsed on to the ground.

"Naruto!" Akane shouted in panic and jumped over to him to check on him. When he turned him over, his nose is smeared with blood and eyes glazed over. His breathe is scarily shallow almost to the point he isn't breathing at all. Suddenly a large powerful pulse of chakra shot out of his body attracting the attention of every kitsune in the Sanctuary.

It didn't take long for Kenichi, Riku, Aki, Danno, and a few other kitsunes to arrive on the scene. "What's going on Akane?!" Kenichi shouted in shock at seeing Naruto's bloody face. Seeing his daughter crying over his body didn't help either.

"I-I don't know, he just suddenly collapsed!" She said stuttering lightly as tears leaking down her cheeks. She didn't know what was going on, but she should have realized something was wrong sooner!

A large powerful amount of chakra started to form around Naruto's body grabbing everyone's attention. The chakra radiated a peaceful aura that betrayed the situation and wasn't a normal blue like usual, but instead has a distinct green tint to it. It is better to say it is green with a blue tint instead. A tail of green potent chakra shot out of Naruto which quickly multiplied into two, then four, then seven, finally ending at nine. The green chakra wrapped around his body encasing him in a green shell where he was longer visible.

"What the hell was that!?" A Masumi clan member shouted in shock. Most of the clan members were in shock and confusion at seeing the blond boy suddenly encased in a dense shell of green chakra.

"It's happening sooner then expected, but this is the change we've been waiting for." Kenichi responded grabbing everyone's attention. The change was bound to happen sooner then later due to the highly concentrated natural chakra the Sanctuary housed. This is what he needed to happen before they could finally free Kurama-sama.

"What do you mean? What change?" Akane asked tears still spearing down her cheeks as she continued to worry about her friend. His bloody face and glazed over eyes worried her greatly.

"Naruto's body is human and is not meant to be surrounded by such pure and dense natural chakra. His body has been absorbing it since the day he arrived." Kenichi answered his crying daughter. "What he will change into? I have no clue. This has never happened before." He answered truthfully.

"Is he going to survive?" Danno asked slightly panicked at seeing his friend in such a state. He didn't want to lose him.

"His body has been absorbing at a very slow pace until he reached a maximum. This shouldn't be lethal, but I don't know for sure." Kenichi replied. He hoped that the blond boy didn't die, he livened up the place.

Another strong pulse radiated from the green shell sending Akane rolling backwards as she was the closest. They had no clue what was going on inside the green shell of chakra, but whatever was happening they could only wish for the best.

"Erza." Kenichi said in a serious commanding voice.

"Yes sir?" She asked keeping most of her attention of the large green sphere of dense pure chakra.

"Go get Ami Fumiko and a squad of healers!" he ordered which Erza quickly bowed her head and charged out of the room leaving the kitsunes to stare at the strange sphere. Another pulse shot out of the sphere just as powerful as the last.

' _Please be okay Naruto_ ' Everyone thought.

* * *

A/N - Oh no! What's happening to our blond hero!? I have a pretty good idea, but what's your ideas? This is a point in the story where a lot of things can happen, and I have to play my cards correctly or suffer for it.

The legend of ramen continues on! Our fellow kitsunes may try and take away our food of the gods, but they will never crush our spirit!

Did you like the restaurant name? ...I was told it was bad and now I feel bad...

More fighting scenes as well, and I hope I did them justice. I need more practice for sure, but hopefully over time I will improve and make them far more enjoyable. Just got to remember that they are kids fighting each other with wooden swords. Nothing special yet.

The fluff! So much fluffy adorable cute kitsunes! Bask in their fluffy goodness! *cough* I may have given Naruto a strange fetish according to my family...

Thank you for reading chapter four of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you enjoyed it and decide to come back for chapter five! I'm super excited for chapter five!

If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N - Surprise! I bet you all didn't see another chapter coming so quickly, did you? Hello everyone, welcome back to the fifth installment of Kitsune Sanctuary. I felt bad for making you all wait so long for the last chapter, and with a lot of inspiration flowing through my veins. I worked out the next chapter much faster then normal. I have to say, it's probably one of my favorites.

Like always, I appreciate the feedback, positive and negative! Please continue to review my story and let me know what you all think because it does help me out a lot, plus I smile every time I get a new one.

Also... sorry about the restaurant name...

I thought it was funny...

=Reviews=

 **Delta4phoenix** \- You're a good person liking the name that everyone seems to not like. I can only hope I played them correctly, but either way I'm satisfied with my play. I also hope I completely threw you for a loop!

 **KakeruPB** \- I'm glad you're enjoying it! Naruto is only eight, and already so many prospects popping up that could contend for his heart later! Fluff! Also, the reason the father went pale is because I'm associating petting someones tails as almost the equivalent to kissing. You don't kiss a father's daughter in front of him. Thank you for the recommendation on the fighting scenes and I will take more care in my writing. FOR THE RAMEN!

 **Buterflypuss** \- Thank you!

 **Frankieu** \- Glad I could keep things interesting.

 **Zerowolf0** \- I don't know, guess you'll have to continue to read to find out.

 **ThraintarIronShield** \- Now that would be something. ...and I'll continue to try and update quicker. I don't want to rush the story and and get sloppy. I want my readers to enjoy the story and get decent quality as well.

 **Wolf** \- You wish is my command.

 **Shapeshifter340** \- Wow, my story must be pretty good if everyone is finding it interesting! I must be doing something right! Also, enjoy!

 **Phantomsoul2015** \- Yeah... I'm sorry. I thought it was funny, but I'll take more care in naming from now on. ...or maybe I won't.

 **Kaizon** \- My face is completely blank right now. :|

 **TigrezzTail** \- Woohoo, you understand the fun! It is a great name, thank you. Kitsunes are adorable... so being surrounded by them would do that to anyone. I guess you'll just have to continue to read and find out.

 **Guests** \- Thank you guests for reviewing as well. You are not forgotten ever. There is a chance random guest, there is a chance.

Please enjoy the story everyone!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

* * *

=Naruto's Mindscape: Kurama=

The sewer water churned violently crashing against the dimly lit walls. The once beautiful blue azure pipe slowly began to dim as the now staggering large green pipe fought against it. It is relatively clear which would be coming out of this war the victor. While this mighty battle waged, Kurama could only stare worriedly from behind the impossibly strong metal bars that made up his prison.

Kurama has been watching the green pipe since he had woken up from his slumber by the blond kit. It was once small and wrapped around the much large blue pipe, but over the years the pipe continued to grow and latch on to the blue pipe like a parasite. Kurama understood the azure blue pipe represented Naruto's chakra and the forest green pipe represented the pure nature chakra his body has been absorbing slowly since he arrived in the Sanctuary. He didn't expect the natural chakra to view Naruto's own chakra as a threat and move to eliminate or purge it.

The idea of having all your chakra purged from your body would normally kill you, however, the natural chakra would hopefully stabilize after the complete removal of the once brilliant azure chakra. The worst-case scenario is it didn't stabilize and still killed the blond child. The second worse case is that it destroys the kid's chakra network. That alone could possibly be the demise of the kit.

Kurama watched the blue pipe continue to grow dimmer and dimmer until the forest green pipe started absorbing it into itself. You could still see the once beautiful azure blue pipe fighting weakly against the other. ' _It appears that the natural chakra won this fight._ ' Kurama thought grimly but expected this outcome.

A loud screeching sound like metal being compressed filled the entirety of the mindscape causing Kurama to wince in agony. He buried his head in his paws trying to block out the painful sound. Thankfully, just as quickly as the annoying screeching started, it stopped. Not only did the sound cease, the sewer water stopped behaving violently and settled down until it became completely still.

He raised his head and looked back towards the pipes and noticed that it was no longer plural. In its place now hung a massive greenish-blue pipe that radiated a peaceful, but extraordinarily power aura. From what he could deduce from the situation, Naruto's chakra lost the battle but not completely. He guessed that since the once forest green pipe now has a slight blue tint.

Kurama hoped that was the end of that possible disaster, but he should have known better. Things are never that simple when dealing with nature chakra. He heard cracking and looked towards its direction only to spot the greenish-blue pipe start to crack and leaking its potent chakra. "Oh, that can't be good…" Kurama whispered out worriedly as he watched the pure nature chakra mix with the sewer water.

The still water began to glow a faint green and create a thick greenish-blue potent mist. The walls started cracking and glowing brightly, the water began acting violently again and crashing against the walls once more. Chunks of the wall and roof started falling off into the water causing large splashes. ' _His mindscape is tearing itself apart, if this continues the kit will die._ ' Kurama thought in astonishment and worry but couldn't do anything behind the metal gate because of the seal.

A thick green aura started washing over the remaining walls, roof, and floor like a fungus. Over the next few minutes Kurama could only watch as it covered every surface in Naruto's mind except for his cell. Apparently, the nature chakra didn't agree with that and started attacking the seal. Kurama watched in fascination as the chakra started absorbing the metal gate. The gate started defiantly glowing brightly until it blinded Kurama enough to shut his eyes ignoring the sounds of metal warping.

When he opened his eyes, the metal gate that kept him prisoner for the last eight years no longer existed. The damp sewer no longer existed either, but instead the familiar forests of Kitsune Sanctuary blanketed the entire area. None of the builds his race built were in sight, just complete untainted nature lining every part.

Curiosity of his new environment, he started exploring the lush green forest. The trees are large, and the ground covered in all sorts of vegetation. He felt like he was young kit again, just born into the terrifying unknown world. He soon came across where the park would have been in the real sanctuary. The once blue crystal-clear creek is replaced with a greenish-blue water. ' _So, the pipe got replaced with a river instead…_ ' Kurama thought curiously.

He got closer to the water and got rewarded with a strange sight. The water did not reflect the cloudy blue sky, nor did it reflect his own appearance. Instead, it reflected an orange tinted Konoha. He could recognize that damn village any day being trapped inside of it for so long. Questions filled the nine-tailed kitsune, ' _Why is there an orange tinted version of Konoha in the kit's mind? What did the pure nature chakra do to Naruto's mindscape? Where is the kit?_ '.

=Earlier in Naruto's Mindscape: Naruto=

Naruto's sapphire eyes opened and blinked at the familiar eerie orange tinted sky he saw a few years ago. His head shifted to the side and stared at the same oaken fence tinted orange by the eerie light that washed over Konoha. He turned his head back towards the orange sky and shut his eyes allowing the darkness to fill his vision while he started thinking. ' _How did I end up back here?_ '

He remembered waking up and having breakfast with his best friends Akane, Aki, and Danno. He clearly remembered sparing tournament style with all three of them. He remembered going out for barbeque with them and being joined by Hana and Shizuka. He remembered going home with Akane and playing games with her, then suddenly feeling nauseous. After that, it's completely blank. ' _Did I pass out?_ ' he thought curiously.

He opened his sapphire eyes, adopting a blank face and couldn't help but ask out loud, "Why do I keep waking up in places I don't go to sleep at." Seriously, he's woken up in an eerie orange tinted Konoha, not once but twice. Not only that, he's also woken up in a dark abyss before finally waking up in a dank sewer. He just couldn't seem to catch a break. He sighed lowly before sitting up staring at the dirt path in front of him.

Standing up he started walking down the dirt path walled off with a wooden fence. It felt creepy wandering through a desolate Konoha. It felt wrong seeing such a large village not filled with people going about their lives. Soon enough he reached the same shopping district he wandered through the first time. The shops are barren, not an ounce of merchandise filled the shops. He remembered looking seeing a red-haired girl walking through here the last time.

He followed the same path he remembered walking down the last time he arrived in this place. It didn't take him long to stumble upon the park he once called home with no children in sight. The blond-haired boy and red-haired girl are gone, and he has no idea where they could be in this massive village. Another shocking discovery is the lack of giant gaping hole that he fell through the first time. He would think about that later.

Suddenly a strange feeling washed over Naruto causing him to look to the left sharply almost giving him whiplash. He didn't really know how to describe the feeling that washed over him, but it felt comforting and safe. The place the beacon is coming from is a large red tower beside the Hokage Monument. If memory served him correctly, that's the Hokage's tower.

Running through Konoha ignoring all the empty shops, stalls, and apartments, he quickly arrived at the large red tower. The Hokage's tower brought back some memories of a dream he once had, the dream to be the Hokage. He remembered wanting to be the Hokage, so others would finally see him, but he gave that up when he arrived at the Sanctuary.

As soon as he stepped inside the tower, the feeling got stronger. It's so strong, almost overwhelming with how much emotion is being poured towards him. They weren't negative, only positive. He continued to follow the trail through the tower walking down the halls. Soon enough he found the source of these feelings. A large door the led into the Hokage's office with overwhelming emotions coming from the other side.

His right hand reached out and grabbed the door handle opening it up. The wooden door opened smoothly not making a single sound. He walked inside and came face to face with two familiar sets of hair and eyes on two people he didn't recognize; a man and a woman. The man has spikey golden blond hair with two bangs going down the side of his face held up by a blue forehead protector and two sapphire blue eyes. He wore a blue shirt with a green flak jacket overtop, blue pants with white bandages wrapped around his right leg, a white haori with a flame design on the edges, and blue sandals.

The woman has long beautiful red hair that framed her round face and went down to her waist. She had some of the prettiest violet eyes he has ever seen. She wore a white sleeveless blouse with a long loose-fitting green dress with green sandals. Naruto would also swear she belonged in the mana clan if it wasn't for her lacking fox ears and tails.

Before he could say anything, the red-haired woman started fidgeting while her eyes sparkled. "Oh, my Naru-chan, you're so cute!" she squealed out before rushing at him and grabbing him in a bear hug. She pressed his head into her chest smothering the life out of him. ' _Is this how every kitsune feels when I gush over them?_ ' Naruto asked himself. Unnoticed by both, the blond-haired man snorted in amusement while watching the death hug.

"Honey?" The blond-haired man called out to the redhead but went died on death's door as she continued to gush over Naruto. "Uh, honey, you're choking him." He tried again to inform her before she killed Naruto from such an aggressive hug. The red-haired woman looked over at the blond before looking down at the struggling smaller blond. It finally clicked in her head that Naruto couldn't breathe.

She let Naruto go before taking a few steps back to stand by the blond-haired man. She gave Naruto an apologetic look while blushing something fierce. It wasn't her fault that he is so adorable and huggable.

Naruto gasped after being freed from the redhead's chest taking in the sweet air that his lungs craved. After a few seconds of calming himself down he shot a glare at both, the redhead seemed to squirm under his ire. "Who the hell are you two!?" he shouted out not appreciating being smother by the woman earlier.

The red-haired was about to speak up before the blond raised his hand. He looked at Naruto with his similar sapphire eyes that shined with love and a gentle smile before saying, "My name is Minato Namikaze, and I'm your father Naruto.". With the one sentence, Naruto's eyes widened comically. He couldn't believe what he was just told.

The redhead took a step forward grabbing Naruto's attention. Her violet eyes are filled with more love then he had ever seen before, and he had an idea why. "…and I'm Kushina Uzumaki, and I'm your mother Naruto." The red-haired woman said lovingly causing Naruto to take a step backwards.

Naruto's head looked down towards the ground with his eyes still wide open. His mind still trying to process the new information those two gave to him. When he thought over both of their appearance, he could see himself in them. He has Minato's blond hair and sapphire eyes, and Kushina's facial structure. His eyes began to swell with tears as the information began to take root. These two are his parents, he finally met them. Tears began cascading down his whiskered cheeks.

Tears began dropping from his chin and hitting the ground below him. He rose his head back to stare at both of his parents standing side by side looking at him with worry. He didn't know what to do in this situation, his emotions are going haywire. Tears continued to run down his whiskered cheeks as he stared at his parents. Finally, the damn broke and he ran over to his parents and pulled them both into a hug. He heard a slight gasp before he felt them returning the hug.

Naruto shocked both Minato and Kushina with his sudden movement and hug but looked down at their crying son. They stared at him warmly before returning the hug. A few minutes passed full of tears of happiness before Naruto finally released both and stepped back. He ran his hands across his face wiping away the tears. "I've waited so long to meet you both." He choked out trying to get his rampant emotions under control.

"We know sochi, we've wanted to meet you for so long." Kushina said lovingly wiping away a few tears from her own eyes. Her own emotions are going haywire over finally meeting her beautiful son.

Naruto took a few deep breathes finally getting control over his wavering voice. "Where have you two been?" he asked hoping they didn't just abandon him. If he found that out, he didn't know what he would do.

Minato looked over to Kushina before sighing heavily and running a hand through his golden locks. "Naruto, the truth is, we're both dead." He said sadly causing Naruto to gasp in surprise. That wasn't the answer Naruto was expecting.

Naruto's mind went into overdrive trying to figure this out. "I don't understand, how are you both here if you're not alive?" he asked, confusion evident. He couldn't figure out a possible way for them to be here unless…

"They day we both died, we decided to seal a sliver of our chakra inside of you. Our hope was to one day meet you in your time of need, however, things are happening differently than he originally expected." Minato responded grimly. He was originally supposed to appear in a time when the seal started to break.

Naruto guessed correctly as he listened to his father. If Kurama could get sealed inside of him, then it makes sense that they could seal themselves as well. "What do you mean originally expected?" Naruto questioned confused on that part.

Minato sighed again before sitting on top of the desk in the room. "The day you arrived at that Sanctuary full of foxes, you started absently absorbing pure nature chakra. For some reason it attacked then forced us out of the seal and materialized us in this strange orange version of Konoha." He answered seriously, slightly disturbed over the nature chakras attack on the seal.

Confusion spread over Naruto's features as he pondered over what his father just said. He didn't know that he had been subconsciously taking in some strange type of chakra. A question popped into his head, "Were you those two kids at the park a few years ago?" he asked both his parents curious over that.

"When your father and I got removed from the seal, it turned us into children. We wandered around Konoha for a while before meeting back up at the park. It took us a long time to figure out how to return to our original form." Kushina replied this time not enjoying being sidelined in the conversation.

"Imagine our surprise when you suddenly appeared at the park in front of us." Minato said shaking his head lightly. The moment they both saw Naruto appear then suddenly fall into a large dark hole had been one of the most terrifying experiences for them. The hole suddenly repaired itself like it never happened.

Naruto looked outside the window and stared out at the eerie orange Konoha. "Do you know what this place is?" Naruto asked in wonderment. From what he understands, his mindscape is supposed to be a sewer, not a strange version of Konoha. Though, while it is eerie looking, he prefers this over the dank sewer.

Minato gazed at Naruto for a moment before saying, "We have a theory.". He turned towards the window and looked out at the eerie orange version of his home. "First, let me explain some things to you so you will understand. You see, the day you were born we sealed just enough of our chakra inside of you, so we could meet you in the future." He explained waiting for the information to sink in before continuing, "When we finally met you, we would have spoken with you for a little while before fading away." He said getting a small gasp from Naruto.

"Now, here lies the issue. We believe that this nature chakra your body has been absorbing saw us as a threat or foreign invader. We think this Konoha is based on our memories, but we don't really know why it's orange." Minato explained his theory.

"It's kind of ironic that we got sealed as well…" Kushina mumbled absently while mentally chuckling. Both Minato and she sealed the Kyuubi inside of Naruto because it was a threat to Konoha. In the process, they sealed a piece of them inside Naruto to help him in the future. Then some nature chakra saw us as a threat and sealed us away.

Naruto didn't really understand how chakra could act that way, but he imagined his parents knew what they are talking about. "Wait, so, you're sealed away just like Kurama? Naruto asked not hearing his mother mumbling to herself. If his parents are suffering the same fate at Kurama, he wanted to find away to free them. A part of him though is happy that they are here so he can see them and learn from them.

Minato and Kushina both went through their memories trying to remember that name, but they could only come up with the Kurama clan in Konoha. "Whose Kurama?" they both asked at the same time. Both are curious on who else got sealed away.

"Oh, Kurama is the Kyuubi's name, and he is so awesome!" Naruto informed his parents excitedly. Ever since he introduced himself to the mighty kitsune, his opinion of him skyrocketed. He is not bias because he got to pet him. Though, his fur is soft.

Both of Naruto's parents paled at him being so close to the strongest bijuu. Not only that, they are also shocked at knowing the Kyuubi even has a name. They never considered that such an angry, aggressive beast could have one. "Naruto, how close are you to, ah, Kurama?" Kushina asked worriedly hoping the great beast wasn't manipulating him.

"He's one of my _closest_ friends." Naruto chirped emphasizing the word closest to make a pun. He chuckled to himself; proud that he managed to come up with such an amazing pun on the spot. Luckily his best friends weren't here to call him out on it, they just didn't understand good humor. Hearing his mother giggle in amusement proved that his humor is superior, his father on the other hand facepalmed.

Minato's hands covered his face, "How could you do this to my son Kami? Why did he have to get her sense of humor…" he mumbled softly through his hands while staring at the laughing duo. His sensei would argue that he doesn't have a good sense of humor either. He wasn't blessed with that, but neither was his wife. He had the decency to understand that, but his wife never got the memo. His wife's and apparently son's humor is just horrendous.

Naruto took the moment to appreciate that he is standing in a room with his two loving parents joking around. It's nice being able to experience something like this. Just the three of them talking and laughing at his incredibly delightful puns. Well, everyone but his father who just didn't seem to understand good humor.

"Naruto, the Kyuubi, I mean, Kurama isn't manipulating you into freeing him, is he?" Minato asked seriously trying to get back on topic. He feared the devastation the mighty beast could create with no one to stop it.

Naruto stared at his father for a moment before answering. "No, I'm not able to, but I would if I could." Naruto answered without remorse. He understood what his father is worried about. However, Kurama has no plans of leaving the Kitsune Sanctuary for a while.

"Naruto, you can't free Kurama. If the Kyuubi gets extracted from you, you will die." Naruto's father warned hoping to rid Naruto of his plans. He didn't want his son to die such a painful death, and he is worried about all the innocent people the Kyuubi would kill with its freedom.

"Oh, that's not a problem!" Naruto chirped, "The Kitsune's have a plan of freeing him without killing me in the process. They said I had to wait a while before they could do it safely though." He said sadly, a little upset that Kurama has slept in a sewer for over eight years.

Kushina decided to butt into the conversation, "What is Kurama's plans when he is free?" she asked truly curious what the mighty kitsune planned. She hoped the Kyuubi didn't go on a rampage and start killing innocent people.

Naruto put a hand under his chin thinking back to the nine-tailed kitsune's plans. "Kurama said he wanted to stay in the Sanctuary and spend time with his grandchildren. He doesn't want to be imprisoned again…" he responded whispering the last part.

Minato and Kushina are both mostly satisfied with that response and let the room wash over with a peaceful silence. Naruto decided to ask a question that he has wanted to know for a long time. "Mom, dad, could you tell me about yourselves?" he questioned curiously wanting to know his family roots.

They both smiled warmly at the question Naruto asked and both took a seat on the floor. Naruto joined suit and sat with them forming a small family circle. "I'll go first." Minato responded not getting any objections from either he continued. "Let's see… I was born on January twenty-fifth and placed in the orphanage." He said getting a sad look from Naruto.

"I never got adopted and finally decided to become a shinobi. I joined the Shinobi academy with the goal of gaining the villagers respect and becoming the Hokage. I grasped concepts easier then most and trained until I dropped to be the best eventually earning me the title of prodigy. The teachers would say, 'You're a once in a generation prodigy.'." he said in remembrance enthralling the attention of his wife and son.

Minato looked at his son with a gentle smile. "That's actually where I met your mother for the first time and was captivated with her beautiful red hair." He said dreamily garnishing a large blush from Kushina. "I wanted to talk to her, but she built up quite a fearsome reputation. I would follow her throughout the village admiring her strength and willpower, but she didn't really like me at the time." He chuckled remembering how she thought he was flaky. Shaking his head, he continued, "Anyways, I graduated the academy with high marks and placed on a team with two others and Jiraiya-sensei." He informed getting a look of amazement from his son.

"Life went simply until we learned that your mother was kidnapped by Kumogakure." Minato said darkly, still remembering her bruised body. "I checked all over the village until I stumbled upon strands of her red hair. Following the trail outside of the village, I found her being dragged through the forest by Kumo shinobi. I dealt with the threat and saved her and told her I only found her because of her beautiful red hair. It was the day we both fell in love." He said warmly getting a soft smile from Kushina and Naruto.

Naruto found the story romantic along the lines of a hero saving the princess. Hana would be gushing about how it's just like her romance novels. However, he did not like the fact that some place named Kumogakure tried to kidnap his mother. He is thankful that his father saved her from that fate.

Minato coughed into his hand grabbing everyone's attention again, so he could continue. "I lost both of my teammates on a mission and was later taken on as an apprentice by Jiraiya-sensei. I quickly worked my way up the ranks and became a jonin. During the celebration I proposed to your mother and we got married later that year." He commented remembering his small secret wedding with Jiraiya stepping in as his father.

"I was later handed my own genin team to teach consisting of Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha. They were a unique bunch of kids. Kakashi had some personal issues he was working through, Rin was easily excitable, and Obito was the black sheep of the Uchiha clan." Minato's smile grew sad remembering his precious students that he saw as his own kids. "My team got involved in the Third Shinobi World War and I built up a fearsome reputation as the Yellow Flash. Due to my prowess in combat, I was given the honor of becoming the Yondaime Hokage and graciously accepted.

"Throughout my short reign at the Yondaime Hokage, I strived to make Konoha the greatest shinobi village. I remember getting off work early and returning home only to find out your mother was pregnant with you. I was so excited I may have fainted." Minato and Kushina both chuckled at the memory before continuing, "Quite a few months later you were born on October tenth, and it was the most amazing moment of our life." His face went dark, "Things went downhill quickly after your birth and we got attacked by a masked man who forcibly extracted the Kyuubi from your mother and sent it on a rampage through the village." He said with a sharp edge to his voice.

"I managed to fight off the masked attacker and fought the Kyuubi long enough to allow us to seal it away. With the help of your mother, we both sealed it inside of you before we both died from our injuries." Minato finished off sadly. He didn't know how his son would react knowing that they had sealed the Kyuubi inside of him. He hoped he didn't hate them.

Naruto felt completely enraptured in his father's life story. It's shocking to learn that your father is the Yondaime Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha. ' _I bet Konoha wouldn't have treated me so poorly if they knew that._ ' He thought a little bitterly. It is when he heard the ending of the story that he felt lost. His parents condemned him by sealing Kurama inside of him, but on the other hand he met Akane, Aki, Danno, and everyone else in the Kitsune Sanctuary because they did. He sighed tiredly before giving his father a plain smile. "It's okay tou-san, I forgive you." He said keeping his nice smile plastered on his face. He crawled over to his dad with the impression of a hug before nailing him in the gut forcefully. Only after that did he wrap him in a hug. He may have forgiven him, but his father still deserved that.

Perhaps Minato should have realized it was to easy to be forgiven like that, but when he heard his son say those words he felt so happy. His son smiling at him while crawling over to him welcoming him into a hug overjoyed him. Then he felt his son's righteous justice slam into his stomach causing him to cough. "Yeah… I deserved that…" he coughed returning Naruto's hug.

Naruto snorted into his chest, "Yes, yes you did." He mumbled while continuing the hug. Soon the brief hug ended, and Naruto crawled back to his original seat while looking towards his mother expectantly. He enjoyed learning about his father's life and couldn't wait to learn his mothers.

Kushina watched the blond duo hug after her darling son sucker punched her husband in the gut. She is a little worried he might do the same to her but has faith that her son is a momma's boy. When his sapphire eyes locked with her violet ones expectantly, she knew it was her turn. "I guess it's my turn!" She said excitedly, happy to let him know of his roots.

Kushina crossed her arms across her chest and started humming, "Hmm, where to start…" before deciding to follow Minato. "I was born on July tenth in the village named Uzushiogakure. The village only had one clan present in it, the prestigious Uzumaki clan. The Uzumaki clan were known for their special chakra, vitality, and sealing prowess. I was the princess of the nation but sought a peaceful life. My parents decided to send me to Konoha to attend their shinobi academy." She said loving her son's reaction to learning about his clan.

"I was nervous and excited about going to a new place so far away from my family. I would be an outsider in the village but was happy to get away from the war. I settled down in our cousin clan's compound before attending the academy. The day I started the academy I decided to make a strong first impression. I proclaimed that I would be the first female Hokage! The other kids laughed and started calling me rude names, so I pummeled them into the ground!" Kushina said slamming her fist into the palm of her hand while laughing manically causing both Minato and Naruto to sweat a little.

Kushina got her laughing under control then continued her tale. "That incident earned me a special title, 'The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero' because I had a small temper. Kushina said pridefully while nodding her head sagely ignoring Minato's snort and mumbling of 'small temper'. "They didn't stop the other kids from picking up on me about my hair and I grew to despise it. I went to my aunt and cried Mito Uzumaki, and she told me why I was really sent to Konoha." She said with a heavy sigh.

She started messing with a lock of her red hair. "As I said, our clan is born with a special type of chakra, and my chakra was very rare. I was born with the ability to completely contain a bijuu. I was sent to Konoha to become the second container of the Kyuubi, and I was honestly terrified.

"A year or so later, I had the Kyuubi transferred to me letting my aunt pass away. That left me as the last Uzumaki left in Konoha, a place that saw me as an outsider. I graduated from the shinobi academy at the same time your father did and was lucky enough to be put on the same team as my best friend Mikoto Uchiha. Soon after the incident your father was talking about happened. Kumo shinobi snuck into Konoha and hid inside my cousin's compound. They attacked me until I could barely move, tied me up and forced me to walk while leading me with a rope." Kushina said with a growl getting an angry scowl from Naruto.

"I was lucky that they were so arrogant, and I pulled out strands of my red hair making a trail for Konoha shinobi to follow. That was when a shadow started attacking all the Kumo shinobi until it was only me left standing. I was so shocked to find out that it was your father who I always believed to be a wimp, found and saved me. He told me he found me because he followed my beautiful red hair, which was the first time someone had complimented me on my hair. From that point on I started calling my hair, 'The Red Thread of Fate' because it brought your father and I together." Kushina said lovingly getting a loving smile from Minato in return.

She looked towards Naruto with a smile before continuing her story. "Overtime in Konoha I became known for my beauty, unique ninjutsu style, fuinjutsu, and kenjutsu. Just like Minato, I earned a fearsome reputation on the battlefield and my enemies called me the Red Death. Sadly, Uzushiogakure was destroyed alongside all of the Uzumaki clan." She said sadly making Naruto's eyes widen in shock.

Kushina shook her head deciding to get to the happy part. "After the Third Shinobi World War, I married Minato." She smiled fondly remembering how Hiruzen walked her down the aisle. "I remember the day Minato came storming into the house telling me he was nominated to become the Yondaime Hokage and how excited he was. After that, life became rather peaceful and eventually I found out I was pregnant with my little bundle of joy." She said in a cute voice causing Naruto to blush in embarrassment. "When I told Minato that I was pregnant, he fainted like a wimp." She chuckled alongside Naruto as Minato started pouting.

"I held you for ten loving months until you finally decided to weasel your way out into the world. The process wasn't the most pleasant, but I got you in return, and that's all I could ask for. Then the attack happened, and you know the rest." Kushina said sadly.

Just like with his dad's story, he was completely enraptured in his mom's story. He couldn't believe that he is from such a strong clan, and that his mom was a princess. Luckily, listening to both stories he discovered where his love of red hair came from. ' _I wonder what I would look like with red hair…_ ' he thought idly. When he noticed his mom looking at him worriedly he figured she is worried that she would get punched in the gut as well. He sighed again before crawling over to her and wrapping her in a tight hug and whispering, "It's okay kaa-chan, I forgive you too.". Kushina just returned the hug the started tearing up again.

Minato stared at the scene in astonishment, "Wait, I get a punch in the gut and she just gets a loving tearful hug?" he said in bemusement. Where was the equality? He didn't want his son to punch his wife, but he expected it.

Naruto turned his head slightly and shot a half-hearted glare at his father. "I'm not going to punch my mom in the gut." He grunted out turning his head back and continuing the loving hug. He has zero desire to harm his awesome mom.

Kushina looked down at her son's blond mop of hair before grinning wickedly at her husband. She couldn't help but enjoy the fact that she got a slap on the wrist while Minato got the full punishment. She mouthed at Minato, 'I'm his favorite.' getting a shocked look from him and couldn't help but start pouting even more at the injustice of it all.

A couple minutes passed before Naruto and Kushina broke off their mother-son hug. Crawling back into his original position, he recreated his four-person family circle. Satisfied knowing more about his parents and knowing that they both loved him brought a warm happy smile to his face. As quickly as the smile appeared, it vanished under a mask of confusion. ' _Hold on a second, four people?_ ' he thought confusedly blinking a few times before looking over to the new addition to their family circle. Blinking a few more times in shock, he shook his head, "Where did you come from!?" he shouted in shock and confusion causing both Minato and Kushina to blink in confusion as well. Then they both noticed the new addition to their family circle and put themselves on guard.

A young woman sat crisscross with her elbow resting on her knee and her head vice versa. She is watching them all with a lazy smile and eyes filled with amusement. Her long flowing forest green hair cascaded down her back resting on the floor, and two green locks framing either side of her face resting on her shoulders. She has pale white skin giving her an unnatural beauty, and dazzlingly electric blue eyes radiating a peaceful aura. She is wearing a short black strapless dress showing off her ample sized chest and nothing else. "Yo." She said in a smooth tone and a lazy expression still plastered on her face.

Minato and Kushina reigning in their shock; jumped to their feet defensively. They are both considered powerful shinobi with experience in war, and they both hadn't even noticed her arrival, worse they didn't even see her sit down beside them. She wore a lazy expression, but they could tell that she is dangerous. "Who are you?" the blond-haired man asked with a dangerous edge to his voice ready to defend his family.

The young woman considered answering that question while staring lazily at the two defensive parents before dismissing them. She yawned tiredly stretching her arms high above her head moaning in pleasure. Her goal did not reside with either of them, so, she looked towards the blond child still sitting beside her. She couldn't help but flash a mischievous smile when they made eye contact, electric blue on sapphire blue. "You know, I've been looking for you everywhere Naruto." She commented in a serene voice, but they could detect something else in there.

Naruto stared hypnotized into her beautiful electric blue eyes only registering her comment a few seconds after she said it. He blinked in confusion, he didn't know why this girl would be looking for him. As far as he knew, he had never met her before today. "Why have you been looking for me?" he voiced his question with a curious glint in his eyes.

The girl returned to her previous position with her face against the butt of her palm. "Well, you see, I'm currently in the process of eradicating your pesky chakra and needed to find the owner to said chakra." She answered causally with her lazy smile. Her answer sent the family of three into a state of shock not believing what this woman just said. They settled for staring at her with horror knowing the consequences of losing your chakra.

Kushina's eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare as she took a threatening step forward, "Do you really think we'll allow you to kill our son right in front of us!?" she shouted angrily not believing the nerve of this brat. She would never allow her beloved sochi to die by the hands of this girl.

Electric blue met violet eyes in a heated staring contest before the young woman sighed tiredly. ' _I knew I should have just disposed of these two…_ ' she thought in slight regret. "I have no desire to kill your son, I'll save him if he does exactly as I say." She said trying to placate the irate mother. Though, maybe she should have worded that better.

As the young woman suspected, her words did not placate the angered parents. "You just want to use him, and if he doesn't you'll kill him?" Minato questioned the young woman with narrowed sapphire eyes. Just like his wife, he would never allow this girl to harm his son. He did know that this girl is not to be underestimated though knowing she snuck up on them both.

Groaning in frustration, the young green-haired woman decided to explain the current situation carefully instead of dancing around the issue. ' _Why couldn't he just be alone? This would have been so much easier…_ ' the girl thought tiredly. Clapping her hands together she started explaining, "Look, your son has been slowly absorbing my chakra into his body, and I'm just doing what I normally do. I'm purifying his body, but his chakra is being stubborn and fighting against me like his life depends on it." She informed the family of three.

"Normally my chakra would just utterly crush your own chakra fixing the problem easily, however, your chakra is a lot livelier than normal." The young woman said eyeing the blond-haired child as she said that. "The fix is easy, all you have to do is just allow my chakra to overpower your own." She finished nodding her head sagely.

Naruto paid close attention to the entire conversation and a question entered his thoughts. Deciding to speak up before his parents, "Are you the owner of that weird chakra I've been taking in?" he asked curiously though confident that she is. His parents are also interested in hearing the answer their son's question. If she is the owner of the nature chakra, that would mean this young woman is the reason they are trapped in this desolate eerie orange version of Konoha.

The girl shot Naruto a displeased look, "First off, it's not weird chakra. It's beautiful nature chakra, and yes, I'm the owner of it." She huffed slightly offended at her chakra being called weird. She rationalized that the boy is just to young to fully appreciate the beauty of her chakra.

Before Naruto could respond to the young woman, Kushina decided to voice her own thoughts. "Hey, that means you're the one that sealed us into this place!" She shouted accusingly at the green-haired girl. While she may have enjoyed being able to spend more time with the love of her life and meeting her darling son, she didn't appreciate being locked away. She's a free spirit and doesn't like to be contained. If she would have said that in front of the Kyuubi, he would have just stared at her blankly.

The green-haired girl rose an eyebrow at the accusation. "Yeah, I removed you, be lucky I didn't completely purge you from his system. Though, I'm starting to wish I did…" she replied without hesitation, but she did mumble that last line. When she first stumbled upon their chakra and realized their consciousness was sealed inside the boy, she sealed it away to figure out what they were. Now realizing that they are the boy's parents, she thought she did the right thing.

Kushina's eye twitched at the girl's carefree response. "Then let us out!" she demanded hotly.

A large smirk took the place of the lazy smile the green-haired woman had been wearing throughout the conversation. Naruto's sixth sense went haywire knowing what that meant. "Nah." The young woman said dismissively causing Naruto facepalm. He knew it.

"What do you mean, 'nah'?" Minato asked incredulously. Just like his wife, he didn't want to be imprisoned inside his own son. Being stuck inside here meant he couldn't keep an eye on the seal for the Kyuubi.

The electric eyed woman stared at Minato and Kushina blankly trying to decide if she wanted to deign them with an answer or not. Her smirk still in place, she gave them a carefree shrug, "Because I don't feel like it." She said simply. "Though, I'm not sure why you want to leave. I've given you the ability to spend as much time as you want with your son. Before you would have only gotten around fifteen minutes as most." She replied thoughtfully. You would think they would be more grateful that I'm allowing them to see each other at all.

Naruto experienced with seeing an argument because of his friends decided to cut this one short. "What would happen to me if I accepted your chakra?" he asked curiously, thankfully stopping the three from arguing. Though, his question did have valid concern. He has no desire to give up his body or die.

The young woman looked back at the whiskered blond and hummed thoughtfully for a short time. "There are a few things that will happen, and a few that might happen." She commented thoughtfully grabbing everyone's attention. "One thing that will happen is your chakra will slightly meld with my own as it's to stubbornly powerful to completely disappear." She huffed getting a smirk from the Uzumaki woman who knew exactly why that is the case.

"Next, my chakra has always watched over kitsunes, and that will continue to be the case." She stated getting confused looks from all three. "You're turning into a kitsune kid, hope you're okay with being fluffy." She snickered at the two agape parents, but the star dazzlingly eyes Naruto now wore really got her. "Lastly, your chakra network will be rebuilt to accommodate your new accessories." She answered truthfully.

As Naruto listened to the young green-haired woman talk about the changes his body would undertake, he went through a mixture of emotions. When the woman brought up the fact that his chakra held so much power, he felt a small hint of pride. From the look on his mother's face, he could say the same for her.

It was when she brought up the fact they he is turning into a kitsune with all the fluffy accessories that he felt a lot of excitement. He tried to not show it, but even in the welcoming Sanctuary, he felt different because he lacked tails and ears. Now, this electric eyed woman is offering him an opportunity to become his favorite animal. It is a dream come true, and he would be able to pet his own tail!

He shook his head and continued to listen to the affects. He sort-of understood the reasoning behind his chakra network having to be rebuilt. He heard Akane talking about how they use their tails to form chakra. If he gained those fluffy appendages, his network would need to expand to them as well. So far, he didn't really see a downside to this.

Minato and Kushina on the other hand are more apprehensive about their only son turning into a kitsune. "How exactly is he turning into a kitsune?" Minato asked warily not sure how he felt about this. The biggest issue being that if he grew kitsune parts, everyone in Konoha would have undeniable proof that he is the nine-tailed fox. It wouldn't matter if it wasn't true.

The green-haired girl looked back towards the worried parents. "It's because of my chakra." She answered truthfully but decided to expand on her explanation to avoid more questions. "When a normal kitsune wanders into the Sanctuary, my chakra slowly melds with them, giving them a human appearance. In a sense, the same thing is happening to your son. Just instead of Naruto gaining a human appearance, he is gaining a kitsune appearance." She informed the anxious parents.

The parents nodded their heads in understanding, but a question still nagged at their conscious. "Is there anyway to avoid him turning into one?" Kushina asked curiously. She didn't mind either way but didn't want her sochi to be forced into something he might not want.

The young woman shook her head in the negative. "No. The change has already started, unless he accepts my chakra, he will die." She answered honestly. From the star gazed boy, she didn't see that being a problem. She did understand that the parents are just worried for the boy.

Before any more questions could be asked, a voice spoke up beside them. "I accept." Naruto spoke up getting looks of shock from both of his parents. A small knowing smile appeared on the young woman's face already expecting his answer.

The woman chuckled lightly, "I figured that would be your answer with your love for kitsunes." She spoke mirthfully. After all, this is the boy who loves foxes more then his own race. The boy already acts like a kitsune to begin with.

Minato looked between his son and the laughing girl. "Naruto," he started getting the attention of his son and everyone else in the room, "Think about what you're doing. You would never be able to return to Konoha. We could find another way." He said seriously while hoping he could change his son's mind. He's still the Yondaime Hokage even after death and believed that is where his son belonged.

Naruto's face darkened ever so slightly at the mention of returning to Konoha. "Tou-chan, I don't want to go back to Konoha. I have friends and people who accept me for who I am. I wouldn't give them up for anything in the world." He replied equally seriously, completely determined to see this through.

Minato sighed seeing his son's face light up with unwavering determination. If his son inherited even a small amount of his wife's stubbornness, there would be no chance of changing his son's mind now. "Alright Naruto, if this is truly what you want, I'll support you no matter what." He said softly with a warm fatherly smile. He would admit being a little disheartened that his son wouldn't grow up in his home village, but he loved his son more.

Naruto smiled thankfully at his father and noticed his mother staring at him. "Kaa-chan?" Naruto asked his silent mother hoping she would also support him with his decision. He is going to go through with it either way, but he would be happier with both of his parent's support.

His mother smiled gently, "Honey, I only want you to be happy. If this makes you happy, then I'll support you always." She said with a motherly tone. An Uzumaki treasures family above all else, and she wanted what is best for her beloved sochi. She had seen what Konoha treated her son like and didn't believe they would ever accept him unlike her husband.

The green-haired girl watched the adorable moment for a bit, but she knew that she is running out of time. "Sorry to spoil a cute family bonding moment, but we've got to do this soon." She said getting questioning looks from the family. "His entire body is tearing itself apart." The girl informed the family of three.

Three sets of eyes widened in shock and horror at hearing that. "What!?" Naruto, Minato, and Kushina all screamed at the same time causing the electric blue-eyed girl to wince. That sounds like an awful way to go.

The woman sighed tiredly, "I told you that our chakra is fighting each other. It's just getting rather violent now." She commented on the seriousness of the situation.

Naruto gulped loudly at that, "O-okay, how do we do this?" Naruto said stuttering slightly from the fear of being torn apart. Why couldn't things ever be simple for him? He felt like he deserved simplicity occasionally.

The young green-haired woman stood up and approached the blond-haired boy. Getting down on her knees so they are at eye level, she started to explain the procedure. "Easy, first we introduce ourselves forming a pack. I'll go first, my name is Midori, the protector and nature spirit for all kitsunes." She said formally making all three of them widen at her introduction. Her name held a lot of power, and everyone in the room could feel it.

Naruto getting the idea followed suit, "My name is Naruto…" he started but trailed off at the end. Normally that would be his entire name, but now he knew his family ancestry. He came from a powerful clan that once ruled an entire nation, his clan name is Uzumaki. He smiled to himself finally feeling complete. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki!" He chirped getting a smile from both of his parents.

Midori smiled as well, now came the difficult part. "I want you to know, that this is going to be my first time… so I'll try and be gentle." She said not noticing the slight inuendo. The two parents noticed it and blushed bright red at the insulation.

Naruto gave her a foxy grin and his eyes lit up with determination. "Don't worry Midori, I trust you!" he chirped happily before feeling something soft press up against his lips. His sapphire blue eyes widened in shock at being kissed and before he could push away, he felt something peaceful flow throughout his entire body.

Minato and Kushina's mouth opened in shock at seeing their son being kissed by the nature spirit. They didn't know what to do in the situation and assumed it is part of the pack they are making. That's when they noticed intricate glowing white designs wrap themselves around their son's body. The glowing designs spread across his entire body and in the process destroying Naruto's shirt. His eyes started glowing and radiating a powerful silver light. The intricate patterns worked themselves around the seal holding the Kyuubi. As if a silent command went off, all the complicated designs attacked the seal at once. A blinding light illuminated the room forcing Minato and Kushina to look away.

Throughout the entire process, Naruto couldn't explain what he felt. As Midori kissed him he started feeling something peaceful move throughout his body. Then agonizing pain started sketching itself into his body. It felt like someone was painting molten steel all over his body. His vision burned and all he could see what a bright light, almost blindingly bright. He heard metal screeching then something shattering. It felt like hours passed before the pain finally let up, and the world returned to normal.

When the light died down, both Minato and Kushina blinked away the blindness. They quickly turned towards their son to make sure he is alright and got a shocking view. The seal that once held the Kyuubi back shattered and faded away into nothingness. The intricate glowing white designs faded into his sun-kissed skin like they were never there to begin with. His eyes returned to their original sapphire blue with the only noticeable difference being his slitted pupils.

However, they are more shocked on their son's new furry appendages. Two red kitsune ears now took the place of his original ones, and two fluffy red tails rested flatly on the ground behind him. They both could guess why the ears and tails took on the same shade of red as Kushina's being genetics. ' _At least some of the Uzumaki genetics are finally showing their head…_ ' Kushina thought slightly pleased at seeing some of the famed Uzumaki red.

Midori leaned back finishing off the kiss looking at her handy work. She's pleased with the results, after all, this is the first time she had ever changed a human into a kitsune. "There, we're done." She said with a simple nod.

The strength in Naruto's legs left him and he collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion trying to catch his breath. He could still feel the ghost pain coursing through his body, but it is getting better. Minato and Kushina both rushed over to his side to make sure he is okay. Truthfully, he didn't know how he felt. He felt different, but he didn't know how to explain how he felt.

Both looked at Naruto with worry as they are watching him trying to catch his breath. "Naru-chan, are you okay?" Kushina asked worriedly hoping that her son wasn't in a lot of pain. Minato shot him the same worried look, hoping the same thing.

Naruto blinked a few times still trying to regain his focus. "Yeah… Just took a lot out of me…" he replied in-between breathes. Looking around the room trying to regain his bearing, he spotted _them_. His hand reached out hesitantly towards the two red fluffy tails lying beside him. Grabbing them, he almost squealed at how soft they are. They are just as soft as Kurama's, and they are his tails! His red fluffy ears twitched as excitement flooded over him. Subconsciously, his tails started to swish back and forth mirroring his excitement.

Seeing how she left her new charge, she felt sad knowing that it was probably painful. "I'm sorry Naruto, I tried to be as gentle as possible." Midori said apologetically. She knew for a fact that it was at least somewhat painful as changing the human body was quite difficult.

Naruto looked up at her with a foxy smile that is now more defined because of his slitted eyes. "It's okay Midori-chan, you took me by surprise though." He chuckled as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. This act got Kushina to look at Minato and smirk which caused him to also sheepishly rub the back of his head.

Midori smiled down warmly at the blond before informing him of something important. "Alright Naru-chan, all your friends are worrying about you." She said gently causing Naruto to stop playing with his tails. "It's time to wake up." She told him.

Naruto didn't like the idea of making his friends worry about him, and decided it is time to go as well. "I guess I should probably go then…" he said sadly looking towards his parents. He pulled them into a loving hug and whispered, "I love you two, and I hope I can see you both again.".

Minato and Kushina both returned the hug with equal love tearing up slightly at seeing their son go. They felt him vanish and the hug cease making them both depressed. They want to tell him so much more.

Midori watched the two depressed parents calculatingly. "You two should consider yourselves lucky." She said in a stern voice grabbing both of their attention. "I've given you the chance to be apart of your son's life. While you may be trapped in here, it's also keep you from fading away." She informed the blond and redhead.

They both understood what she is saying and sighed heavily. When they considered it, it isn't so bad being trapped here. They both looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "Can you at least fix the orange tint that this place has?" Minato asked hopefully. Seeing the constant orange everywhere started to get boring after a while.

Midori hummed thoughtfully, considering fulfilling their simple request. She sent them a smirk, "I'll think about it." She said winking at them both before vanishing as well.

Minato and Kushina stood in the Hokage's office alone thinking about the entire moment that just played out. "You know, she right Minato. We have a chance to watch our son grow up and help him in his life." Kushina said looking at her husband with a gentle smile.

Minato sent her the same smile before turning to look out the eerie orange tinted Konoha. Everything is the same except for the color, and hopefully that would change soon as well. "Yeah, I guess this isn't so bad after all." He said calmly as his wife stood beside him.

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A/N - I bet you all thought I forgot about that little dream sequence, but nope! I set that up just for this! I hope I played my cards correctly, but overall I'm happy with my choice. At one point, I planned on just keep Naruto without kitsune parts, but it just fit to well to deny him them.

Now Naruto has his own fluffy tails, but what is the deal with the new chakra network? Will this change how he fights in the future? Did the Uzumaki genes finally win out on something!?

What's going to happen to Kurama? So many questions...

Thank you for reading chapter five of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you enjoyed it and decide to come back for chapter six! I have so many plans for the next chapter already, I hope I can write it well.

If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N - Hehehe... sorry. Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter of Kitsune Sanctuary! This chapter took a long time to write because it was originally supposed to be around chapter eight or nine, but I decided to change it up! I wrote a chapter, then deleted it cause I wasn't happy with it. I seem to do that a lot! Again, I apologize for how slow I am with my updates but I will try harder!

Like always, I appreciate the feedback, positive and negative! Please continue to review my story and let me know what you all think because it does help me out a lot, plus I smile every time I get a new one.

=Reviews=

 **Frankieu** \- Thank you. I imagine it will be interesting seeing that conversation!

 **KakeruPB** \- I'm glad you're enjoying the adorableness that I have created! I've always imagined Naruto as a momma's boy. Afterall, in canon, Naruto sucker punches Minato but cheerfully hugs his mother. Now that I'm thinking about it, didn't Naruto get punched by Kushina instead? Don't worry, she has plenty of time to gush of kitsune Naruto. I imagine she will attempt to play matchmaker if given the chance. That's a good question...

 **Buterflypuss** \- Thanks!

 **Ryujomaru15** \- Thank you, and sorry for keeping you waiting!

 **Kaizon- _chan_** \- I appreciate your kind words and hope I can continue to deliver the quality that you expect from me.

 **BorderLand** \- Of course!

 **WolfCoyote** \- Thank you. Minato and Kushina will most likely never leave Naruto willingly.

 **ThraintarIronShield** \- Yup, super cute. Madori can be considered divinity, nature spirit, or just sentient Nature Chakra. No one really knows exactly what she is, other than herself. You find out in this chapter, sorry for not being clear on our favorite blonde's age.

 **TigrezzTail** \- I'm glad I managed to give that feeling from the situation. It really was supposed to be a terrifying experience.

 **Shapeshifer340** \- Thank you, and I'll try to write faster!

 **Narudevilfan** \- That makes me super happy to hear!

 **Arraia** \- Here ya go, and sorry for being so slow!

 **OromisGlaedr** \- Thank you! I appreciate the advice and will attempt to do better in the future! I plan on going back and correcting issues, but I imagine I will continue to make those same mistakes. Hopefully, in the future, I won't make any of these mistakes!

 **OOShamusOo** \- Hmm... I don't know, guess you'll just have to read to find out!

 **A Reader** \- In chapter four he was eight years old. You learn his current age in this chapter. I apologize for being confusing. Not many miss him per say, but some do want him back. He's a valuable asset for Konoha after all.

 **Theriku260** \- Thank you, it means a lot. I'm glad I found your story and look forward to reading more from you.

 **Nappatheloveabl** \- My heart sunk when I started reading this comment! Then I read the entire comment and was happy. I'm sorry for making you wait so long, but the best things are worth waiting for!

 **Cmaso65** \- Take this!

 **Azaira** \- I will attempt to keep this in mind, but sometimes that just how I want them to speak. Thank you!

 **Guests** \- Thank you, and yes, yes he will. It just takes time to get him ready to go out into the world.

Please enjoy the story, everyone!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

Updated 9/5/2018

Corrected a minor error that got pointed out to me.

* * *

=The Elemental Nations: Unknown Location=

Somewhere in the Elemental Nations, deep inside a dark damp cave, a strange plant-like man sprouted out of the cavernous ground. Beautiful celestial-blue luminescent moss glowed dimly showing off the strange appearance of the man. The man's unique body looked as if two completely different people were vertically stitched together. One half of his body is jet-black while the other is a sickly pale-white. His eerie beady yellow eyes dully gazed through his venus-flytrap extensions that surrounded his head. He wore a loose black cloak with crimson-red clouds adorned on it.

The plant-like man's creepy yellow eyes wandered the barely lit cavern until they rested on their target of interest. An ethereal red eye with three tomoe wrapped around its pupil stared back blankly at the strange man. " **Tobi.** " The black half spoke in a deep menacing voice.

The plant-like man stood still waiting for a response. Sounds of water dripping from the stalactites echoed throughout the empty cavern before sounds of shuffling overshadowed it. The hypnotizing red eye grew closer until a man wearing a unique spiraling orange mask stepped out of the shadows. The man has black spiky hair and wore the same loose black cloak. "Ah, Zetsu, I expected you sooner." An equally deep menacing voice responded. His head tilted to the side slightly, "Have you located the Kyuubi Jinchūriki?" he questioned curiously.

Before the more serious darker half of Zetsu could respond, the sickly pale-white half did. "We've looked everywhere, but he's really, really good at hide and seek!" A playful, childish voice cried out in dismay. Zetsu couldn't understand how the Kyuubi Jinchūriki got so good at his special game, but it just made him more determined to find him!

The darker half resisted the urge to growl at his childish counterpart. " **I've searched the Elemental Nations for the boy with no luck. It's possible that the boy perished when the villagers left him for dead.** " The black half of Zetsu answered. Strangely, he hasn't been able to locate a single thread of the boy's unusually powerful chakra. This could mean a couple things, one, the boy is dead. An easy assumption to make as the boy is an untrained malnourished child. The second possibility, he's being hidden inside a very powerful barrier, but equally unlikely.

The orange spiraled masked man turned his back to the plant man and hummed thoughtfully at that. If the boy truly perished, it would severally set back his plans. The Kyuubi has never been dispersed before, so it was difficult to estimate when the Kyuubi would fully regenerate. This also gave them another major setback, the Kyuubi would no longer be burdened with a mortal vessel. "If that's the case, it will put a damper on my plans," Tobi commented idly, but Zetsu could hear his frustration. "For now, we'll go under the assumption that the boy is alive and hiding. Keep a close eye for anyone who matches the boy's description and resume your duties for the Akatsuki." He ordered seriously.

"Oh, I sure hope we finally find him! This has been so much fun!" the pale half of Zetsu chirped playfully and Tobi turned around and shot him a deadpanned expression. The whiter half of Zetsu huffed childishly. It couldn't help it being surrounded by two serious personalities all the time, he just wanted to brighten up the mood.

The other more serious half of Zetsu gave a tired sigh at his counterpart's attitude before gazing back at the ethereal red eye. " **Then we'll be off Tobi.** " He responded darkly before slowly melting into the cold stone ground. Just before he completely vanished, a thought rang through both halves of their mind. ' _I'm feeling slightly hungry, maybe I'll stop by an orphanage for a quick snack…_ ' they both thought eagerly.

As the cannibalistic plant-like man vanished into the planet's crust, Tobi pressed his back against the cold cavernous wall. He slid down slowly until he is sitting with one knee pressed up against his chest while his other leg is stretched out. "Only a little longer and I'll finally bring this forsaken world to everlasting peace." He said softly while staring absently at the beautiful luminescent moss. A calming silence washed over him only occasionally being interrupted by the methodical dripping of water.

His mind wandered back to the day he set his life on this difficult path. The day the love of his life was murdered by the person he considered to be his best friend. A righteous anger welled up deep inside him as the image of his best friend's hand plunging through his love's chest. ' _One day you'll pay for betraying your promise to me…_ ' he thought grimly.

Hours passed as he reminisced in his old memories before he stood up. He padded down his cloak and cracked his neck. It was time to initiate the next step to his plan and gain an asset. He would play his role in the world and help in the removal of a pesky copy clan. He coughed into his hand a few times. His entire stature changed in an instant, "Oh, I can't wait to show them that Tobi is a good boy!" he laughed childishly getting back into his character as his eye spun sucking him into a wormhole.

=Four Years Later – Kitsune Sanctuary=

The orange fiery ball in the sky known as the sun already began its long journey towards the distant horizon. The sky started to shift into a vast sea of blues, oranges, and red and tinted the clouds with its heavenly rays. The leaves in the bountiful forest sung together as the gentle breeze drifted throughout it.

Akane Masumi stood on the crisp green grass below her; her toes curling and uncurling in anticipation. Her sharp vibrant slit-eyed narrowed slightly as they locked onto her opponent and studied him carefully. Beautiful crimson hair cascaded down her back flowing gently in the soft breeze. During the last four years, she has grown considerably now standing at 5'1", which is relatively average for the thirteen-year-old kitsune. Her two silky crimson tails danced methodically behind her posed for battle.

She wore a short white kimono that turned into a dark grey skirt ending at her thighs. A red obi is tied around her waist covering the transition from white to dark grey. Around her neck is a black collar that extends into a red cloth that cascades down her back and shoulders transforming into black lined fingerless gloves. It left the underside of her arms exposed for increased flexibility. A red ribbon is tied just above her elbow and wrist on both arms keeping the cloth tight around her skin. A black strapless leather vest covered the middle of her back, stomach, and hips. Jet-black open-toed sandals that went up to her knees covered a layer of athletic white bandages.

On the opposite side of the grassy field stood Naruto Uzumaki with his blade prepared to strike at any sign of an opening. His brilliant sapphire slitted eyes cautiously studied her body. Golden spikey hair rocked bath and forth as the wind breezed through it. Much like Akane, he too has grown considerably now standing at 4'11", which is slightly above average for the twelve-year-old kitsune. He would be turning thirteen in a few months and hopefully be growing a few more inches. His two – in his opinion, much softer then Kurama's – Uzumaki red tails posed steadily behind him.

He wore a burnt orange long-sleeve t-shirt with a thick black line going down the center. Overtop his t-shirt is a high color black short-sleeved armored coat with a burnt orange sash tied above his waist. He wore dark grey pants with athletic white bandages tied around both his legs. Jet-black open-toed sandals went up to his knees.

Akane watched Naruto noticing his body tense ever so slightly allowing her to make an educated guess that he is about to attack again. As she expected, Naruto shot off towards her bringing his ninjatō down in a diagonal slash meant to cut her deeply across her chest. She simply sidestepped the offensive attack and retaliated with a quick horizontal slash towards his right leg.

However, Naruto noticed this and leaped away in a backflip landing on his palm before finishing the flip in a crouching position. Akane pushed forward on the offensive keeping her ninjatō straight in front her prepared to pierce her blond sparing partner in the gut. " **Masumi Kenjutsu Technique: Tail of Piercing!** " she shouted condensing a sharp shroud of chakra around the tip of her blade.

It's silly to announce your techniques to your opposition, and usually, you wouldn't. Not only does shouting out your moves alert the enemy but also allows them to prepare a counter to it. The only time it's proper to call out your techniques is in a friendly spar, so you don't harm your partner.

Naruto's sapphire eyes narrowed when he heard Akane call out her technique and planned a counter. He began channeling his potent chakra towards his blade. A dense shroud of chakra wrapped itself around his blade gleaming, waiting to be released. As soon as her sword got close enough to counter he swiftly brought his own blade down onto hers. Her blade hit the ground hard causing a small indention in the earth, but her technique fired releasing a short beam of chakra that tore a hole through the soil. It showed just how deadly that technique is if it caught its opponent. Naruto wasted no time and brought up his left foot plunging it into her chest sending her flying back leaving her blade behind.

He watched her roll on the ground before easily correcting herself. She got back onto her feet quickly and looked down towards her hand before glaring at her blade. "You know, I'm surprised you let me disarm you Akane-chan!" Naruto mused chuckling lightly while glancing slightly down at her ninjatō.

Akane brought her glare to her blond friend's face and narrowed her emerald eyes before shooting him a smirk. A smirk that put Naruto on edge suddenly, but not quick enough. She vanished in a burst of speed and reappeared in front of him slamming her palm into his chest forcing him to stumble backward. She glanced at her blade and grasped it raising it just in time to clash against Naruto's own blade. "You shouldn't let your guard down Naru-kun, you had the advantage." She quirked with the same smirk causing him to grumble in discontent.

Naruto watched as both of their swords fought in a battle of dominance, but he noticed her blade's edge gain a shroud of chakra. The spike in energy made him sweat slightly, but her next words startled him. " **Masumi Kenjutsu Technique: Wave of Damnation!** " she shouted sending a blast of energy point blank between them. A small explosion of dust ensnared them and suddenly, Naruto's ninjatō flew out overhead landing off on the field.

Both Naruto and Akane leaped backward out of the dust cloud just before it cleared up. Unluckily for Naruto, his weapon rested behind his current opponent, and he knew that she's going to comment on it. "You know, I'm surprised you let me disarm you Naru-kun." She mocked with a cheeky smile. The look of satisfaction in her eyes showed just how much she enjoyed saying that.

Naruto stared into her emerald eyes and sighed, he deserved that. ' _I won't be able to get around her easily, looks like it's time to up my game._ ' He thought a little excitedly. His two tails reached down sending chakra towards his shadow and tapped it, " **Kitsune Technique: Mirrored Soul!** " he called out.

Instantly his shadow reacted to the pulse of chakra and darkened until the light around it is swallowed whole. From the scene of a horror movie, a pitch-black hand shot out of it and grasped onto the grass, soon another hand followed pulling a humanoid shape from the abyss. The figure crawled out and stood up beside its creator. Vibrant blood-red slitted eyes opened and the shadow-like substance that covered its body shattered leaving behind a unique entity.

The new player on the field looked like the fraternal twin of Naruto. Her heavenly golden hair with streaks of black is done up in a ponytail. Beautifully vibrant blood-red slitted eyes gleamed with a hint of maliciousness. Like her originator, she too adorned three whisker marks on each of her cheeks. Her outfit is entirely identical to Naruto, and her two red fluffy tails danced viciously behind her.

"Yami-chan, you know what to do," Naruto whispered lightly to his other half. He turned his head slightly, his bright sapphire eyes glanced towards her noticing the same gleam of adoration from previous times. Every time he summoned her, she always seemed entirely devoted to him. Her eyes held warmth, love, and adoration only for him.

Yami blinked at his words before glancing over at her creator and smiled lovingly. Her eyes flashed towards the red-headed tramp and narrowed her eyes, oh she is going to enjoy this. "Don't worry Naru-chan, it'll be my pleasure." She purred menacingly.

She wasted no time and charged towards her enemy with the job of distracting her. She narrowly dodged a vertical swipe directed at her shoulder before crouching down. She kicked her feet underneath her opponent in the hopes of tripping her, but the emerald-eyed kitsune jumped over it.

Akane landed back on her feet after jumping over Yami's leg catching Naruto's dash past her from the corner of her eye. She knew that he is going for his ninjatō. She understood the merit in regaining your weapon, but they could have easily double teamed her and kept her on her toes. She mentally shook her head and attempted to intercept the blond but received a roundhouse kick in the gut. She folded into the kick gasping as the air escaped her lungs. Then she felt a hand start to crush her own that held her blade forcing her to drop it. She glared towards the smirking blond vixen, "Yami." She growled out.

"Akane." Yami retorted reeling her fist back prepared to slam it into Akane's face. She channeled chakra into her fist planning for it to be a knockout, but much to her displeasure Akane countered her by slamming her arm into her wrist forcing the attack to miss. This left her open to the kick she received in the stomach forcing spittle to fly out of her mouth and fall towards the floor. Instincts cried out to her and she rolled quickly to the left avoiding being pierced through the throat.

Yami rolled a slight distance away before kicking her feet into the air. As quickly as she rose her feet into the air, she brought them down with equal force. Following the momentum, she pushed herself up so that she is standing again. She turned her body to the left to avoid being vertically cut in half before bending backward to avoid being horizontally cut in half. ' _I think I upset her…_ ' she thought in consideration as she continued to dodge fatal blows.

Meanwhile, Naruto reached the destination that held his ninjatō. He reached down and grabbed ahold of his weapon before turning back towards the fight. ' _Looks like Yami is on the defensive and wow… Akane is being super aggressive right now._ ' He thought in shock blinking at the battle but snapped himself out of it. He could use her aggression against her, so he charged back into the fight with the plan of ambushing her from behind.

Naruto's other half leaped backward avoiding being pierced through the heart. She doesn't have a chance to catch her breath as the red-haired vixen continued her vicious assault. She attempted to land a powerful hit on her opponent's chest but got repelled painfully with a swift foot in the gut.

She stumbled backward but regained her balance. Her vibrant blood-red eyes widened in surprise before quickly ducking down to avoid losing her head. Standing back up, she continued to stay on defensive trying to buy more time for her originator. A sharp stinging sensation flowed throughout her entire body with a bunch of pain radiating from her right side right below her ribs. Her eyes darted towards the beacon of pain only to find Akane's blade piercing her side. She shot a heated glare towards her stabber only for her eyes to gain a gleam when she noticed Naruto rushing up behind Akane. An idea sowed itself into her mind and before she knew it, she already acted.

Akane had expected a few things to happen, like Yami stepping backward to help remove the blade from her. To her shock, she instead reached out and latched onto her shoulders forcing her to stay in place. The move utterly confused her until she noticed the gleam of mischievousness in her opponent's eyes.

Her emerald eyes opened in realization at her mistake. She has been so distracted fighting Yami, she temporally forgot about Naruto. Her head swiftly turned to the side and out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the blond rushing up behind her. Quickly turning back to Yami she cut the blade out from Yami's side causing her to cry out in pain and fall to the ground. Akane turned around and raised her blade just in time to block Naruto's attack that would have ended their spar.

Their swords found themselves in another fight for dominance, each pushing with all their strength to win. Naruto sent Akane a smirk and decided to give some much-needed advice to his friend. "You know Akane-chan, you shouldn't turn your back on an enemy even if they are injured." He commented with a smirk that caused Akane's eyes to widen again.

Yami grabbed onto her side where she felt an immense amount of pain. She brought her blood covered hand to her face, ' _Dammit, with this wound I won't be able to spend time with Naru-chan!_ ' she mentally cried out in anguish. Clearly, her priorities are in order as she laid dying on the grass. Her hand fell to her side and she watched her Naruto fight against the red-headed tramp in a battle of dominance. A familiar gleam reappeared in her blood-red eyes and mustered up all her strength. She crawled right behind Akane just as Naruto finished speaking and wrapped her arms around Akane's waist pulling backward.

Akane had managed to make two fatal mistakes in this spar that she could count, and she knew that their sensei would call them both out on it. Once she fell backward on top of Yami she struggled to break free, but Yami has a death grip. She brought her blade up to block another attack from Naruto before launching her foot into his gut making him stumble backward. She then swiftly slammed her elbow in Yami's head making the girl cry out in pain again. The hold on her loosened enough to break free and she wasted no time in ending Yami. She brought her blade down and stabbed Yami in the skull. "Later Yami!" she chirped as the girl burst into black smoke before dissipating into thin air.

Naruto who just recovered from the sudden kick in the gut gasped out in pain. His side felt like it was split open, and his head stabbed causing a massive headache to form. A large wave of nausea washed over him and his vision blurred slightly. He blinked a few times to clear up his vision. Shaking his head lightly he regained focus on his opponent only to notice she vanished. He was about to turn around until he felt the cold metal brush up against his neck.

"Looks like I win again Naru-kun," Akane said in a sing-song voice standing behind Naruto. The one large downside to using **Kitsune Technique: Mirrored Soul** is that you take on the mental representation of your other half's pain. If you know this, you can take advantage to help you win a fight. With training you can negate most of this, but for Naruto who is still learning? It is simply a side effect. Although she slightly enjoyed getting some revenge on Yami. She would bruise on her stomach from the powerful kick she delivered.

Naruto sighed at losing against Akane again. His body relaxed and dropped out of his stance signaling his acceptance of defeat. He felt her blade retract and turned around to look at his best friend. "Looks like it." Naruto sighed in defeat.

Slow but notably audible clapping came from the side of their training ground making both Akane and Naruto turn their head. A tall man standing at 6'2" walked towards them. He has long wild locks of orange-red hair with black covering his ears. His face is narrow, molded to perfection and angular ruby-red slitted eye. He wore a loose blood-red kimono made of high-quality silk and a burnt orange sash tied right above his waist. His feet are bare touching the crisp grass below him. The most notable thing about this man is the nine orange-red tails dancing behind him. "You two have come far since I've begun training you…" he praised the two young kitsunes making them smile brightly and pride began to well up inside them. ' _Oh, that won't do at all…_ ' he thought and decided to knock them back down. "However, you two still make stupid sloppy mistakes that will get you and your allies killed." He chastised with narrowed eyes.

Whatever pride began to build up inside them was immediately crushed by their sensei. The look in their sensei's eyes also gave them the impression that they were both about to be called out on some mistakes. Akane and Naruto both looked down at the grass finding it more interesting than the narrowing red eyes of their teacher. "Yes, Kurama-sensei." They both mumbled together.

Kurama focused his gaze on the red-haired kitsune. "Akane, your kenjutsu is coming along splendidly. You're making your clan proud." He praised slightly, "however you still have tunnel vision. You focus only on one thing and forget about others." He started pinching his nose, "For example, you forgot about Naruto and allowed him to get behind you. If he would have been more skilled, you most likely would have been killed." He said with a hint of disappointment laced in his words.

He watched the young kitsune continue to stare at the grass. "You are becoming proficient in the Masumi clan techniques, but you use them far too recklessly. When you used the **Masumi Kenjutsu Technique: Wave of Damnation** to gain the upper hand, you could have easily harmed yourself when you released your chakra." His eyes narrowed, "I expect you to be more thoughtful in the future and think carefully about the consequences of your actions. Your enemies will not let your mistakes go." Kurama finished lecturing Akane and turned his narrowed ruby-red eyes towards his previous jailor.

"Naruto, your kenjutsu is adequate and while not on the level of Akane, it's still impressive for your age. I expect you to keep improving yourself." Kurama said starting off with mild praise before pointing out his mistakes. "Your mastery over **Kitsune Techniques** is impressive, but I'm disappointed how you used **Kitsune Technique: Mirrored Soul**. You used her as a distraction instead of a partner; you must learn to collaborate with one another. You share the same soul after all." He pointed out a little disgruntled with the use of such an incredible technique. If you want a distraction, you might as well just use a plain solid clone jutsu.

Kurama returned to staring at both kitsunes and gave a heavy sigh. "…and finally, you two need to get better grips on your weapons." He raised his hand to keep them from interrupting him, "Yes, I'm fully aware that your kenjutsu style is based on disarming your opponent, but that does not excuse you for losing your own weapons. I do not want either of you getting disarmed by one another often, if at all." He said sternly. Throughout the entire fight, they both constantly were forced to drop their sword which is deadly in a fight. If you know the style of your opponent, it should be easier to avoid being disarmed by it.

Akane and Naruto continued to stare at the grassy floor while they got lectured. It doesn't matter how many times it happens, but they both dislike having their faults pointed out to them. "Yes, Kurama-sensei." They both mumbled again.

Footsteps came to a stop right beside both Akane and Naruto. "I thought your spar was cool!" a familiar excited voice said beside them making them raise their heads to meet Aki and Danno. Aki, much like Akane and Naruto has grown considerably standing at the impressive height of 4'11" which is above average for a twelve-year-old. Her shoulder length dark-red hair is done up in a ponytail held together with a golden bell that chimed lightly when the breeze caught it. Her hair frames her round face and makes her dark forest-green slitted eyes pop.

She wore a black sleeveless shirt with a loose open blood-red jacket hanging off her shoulders, a short black skirt that went halfway down her thigh, and black sandals. Her two fluffy dark red tails danced excitedly behind her as she rocked on the balls of her feet. "The Red Devil verse The Blond Fishcake! The fight of the day!" she cheered out dramatically, her eyes glinted in amusement when Naruto twitched.

A soft yawn came from Danno, "It was bothersome, you two take too long." He said while covering his mouth to stifle a yawn. Danno not wanting to be left behind grew to match his friends now standing at 5' which is just below average for the thirteen-year-old. He has short jet-black hair with a crimson-red streak that thinned out slightly. His greenish-silver eyes are half-lidded and stared at both lazily.

He wore a blood-red short-sleeved shirt with an open black jacket resting snuggly around it, slightly baggy black pants, and black sandals. His left hand sat inside his pants pocket while leaning on his left leg. Unlike Aki, his two jet-black tails rested lazily behind him.

"Alright, listen brats," Kurama said suddenly garnishing the attention of the four young kitsunes. "Training is done for today. You four are coming along decently and I expect you to continue improving." He said giving them an expectant stare to which he got four nods in return. "Good, then I'll be off." He commented with a smirk before vanishing in a swirl of orange-black fire.

That left the four kitsunes alone in the grassy training field. They continued to stare at the previous location of their sensei before the silence was broken by non-other than Akane, "You know, it's still surprising that we even got him to teach us at all." She said voicing a common opinion amongst their small group.

Aki put a hand to her hip giving them all a wide smile. "It's because he likes me so much!" she chirped happily while nodding her head getting a few blank stares in return. She happily ignored them.

"I'm still adjusting to not having his voice in my head constantly," Naruto stated getting a raised eyebrow from the group. In Naruto's opinion, going from having a constant companion in your head to silence was weird. Don't judge him.

"…usually not hearing voices in your head is considered a good thing." Danno pointed out getting a few chuckles. Naruto turned his head to the side to hide his blush.

Naruto turned his head back to look at his group of friends with a thoughtful gaze. "Ya know, it feels like yesterday that Kurama-sensei was freed." He said in remembrance. The entire event was engraved into the blonde's mind. He absently rubbed his stomach, remembering the process.

* _Flashback_ *

" _Lie down right there Naruto," Masao told Sanctuary's newest kitsune, pointing at a large flat stone slab. The slab is raised up off the ground with bright green vines crawling up the pillar holding it. It stood in the center of a smooth dirt circle outlined with large granite rocks that sparkled from the rays of light that breached the leafy canopy. Large, thick trees surrounded the strange circle with mighty roots occasionally peeking up for the earthly crust._

 _Naruto who had been admiring the beauty of this strange place looked towards the stone slab. "Alright." He replied simply walking over to it and placing his hand on it. It is cold from resting in the shade of the trees, and smoother then any surface he had touched before. He pushed his hand up raising his body until he was resting on the cold stone slab. He laid flat on his back and looked expectantly towards the three kitsunes in the room._

 _Masao seeing the look decided to start explaining. "Now listen closely, Akio, Ami and I will be the ones running this procedure. I'll try to explain it as easily as I can and will answer any question you have after my explanation, understood?" he told the blonde kit receiving a serious nod._

" _Alright, Akio here will be overseeing a vital part of your procedure. His job is to coat your body in a thin protective layer of nature chakra." He told the blonde gesturing towards the golden-eyed kitsune. He saw the questioning gaze from Naruto but ignored it for now. "Ami will be watching your vitals while helping your body adjust to the loss of Kurama-sama's chakra." He continued gesturing towards the black haired kitsune. "I will be the one doing the extraction. Do you have any questions?" the dark-grey haired kitsune asked already knowing the answer._

 _Naruto listened closely as he is curious about the procedure and seeing that he could finally ask his questions, he did just that. "Ah, why does my body need to be wrapped up in nature chakra?" the blond kitsune asked curiously. The last time he was wrapped up in nature chakra, he turned into a kitsune. He is justifiably allowed to be curious about what will be happening this time._

 _Akio decided to speak up since this is a question for him, "The natural chakra will act as a filter in a sense. If we did this extraction without this protective layer of nature chakra, we wouldn't just extract Kurama-sama's chakra, but your own as well. As you can imagine Naruto-kun, this would be fatal to you. So, when I apply this protective layer of nature chakra around you, it will only allow Kurama-sama's chakra out, understand?" Akio answered with a gentle warm smile that is comforting._

 _The blonde mostly understood what was going on, and he guessed that was good enough. "How long will this take, and will it be painful?" Naruto asked cautiously, silently praying that it would be a very simple, quick and painless process. From the look on Masao's face, he guessed he wouldn't like the answer._

 _The dark grey haired kitsune sighed with a frown marred on his face. "This procedure will take just over four days to complete." He answered easily, "However, this will most likely be the most painful experience you will ever endure in your life." He said softly, but bluntly, not sugarcoating it at all. He assumed the blond boy would appreciate knowing the truth instead of a blatant lie._

 _Naruto's sapphire eyes widened in fear at being told that information and gulped nervously squirming slightly on the cold stone slab. '_ I'm doing this for Kurama's sake. I'm doing this for Kurama. _' He thought mentally trying to calm himself. "I'm sorry Naruto, but this is the only way. I will promise you this, I promise you that you will survive this ordeal." The Takeshi clan head promised hoping to give confidence to the distressed kit._

 _Naruto took a deep breath trying to control his breathing and steady his nerves. No matter what anyone believed, being told you are about to experience pain like nothing before would shake anyone's confidence. Naruto is no exception to this, but he smiled weakly at Masao's promise. "Thank you." He replied lightly to the dark-grey haired kitsune._

 _Ami ran her hand through his golden locks in hope of calming the young child. "Naru-chan, you tell us when you're ready and we will begin." She said warmly, smiling at the blonde. Even when he stopped shaking, she continued to run her hand through his hair._

 _Minutes continued to pass and the older kitsunes waited patiently on the nine-year-old kit. They all have grown fond of the newest addition to the Sanctuary and wished they didn't have to burden the boy with so much pain. However, they needed Kurama out of the boy, and this is the only way._

 _Sapphire-blue eyes opened, and with one final calming breath, he answered, "Okay, I'm ready."_

" _Alright," Masao answered simply getting into position while nodding towards his companions. "Akio tell us when you've stabilized the protective layer over him." He said seriously towards the nature keeper who nodded his head. They watched as a green glow encased the blonde, and a few minutes later it stabilized. "Once we start Naruto, we won't be able to stop. Ready?" he asked the boy._

 _As soon as the nature chakra coated Naruto, he felt calm, serene with the warming blanket wrapped around him. It helped calm his nerves even more which Naruto is thankful for. Taking another deep breath, he replied, "I'm ready." His voice wavering ever so slightly._

 _Masao nodded his head and placed his hands over Naruto's stomach. He took a deep breath before focusing his own chakra around his hands. He glanced over at their medic. "Ami, I'm starting." He informed the woman, so she is prepared to help dull the boy's pain. When she nodded her head and placed her right hand over his heart, he began the extraction process._

 _Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he felt his entire body light itself on fire almost instantly. Every single cell in his young body screamed out in agony begging for the pain to stop. It felt as if magma started pumping through his body, burning himself from the inside out. Tears quickly gathered in his eyes and trickled down the side of his face. His hands clenched into a fist, his sharpened nails quickly drawing blood. He tried to hold it in, but couldn't, and started screaming in agony. '_ Four… Four days… _' he thought in absolute horror as the realization hit him. We would have to bear this pain for days._

 _Red corrosive chakra started leaking out of the boy's body gathering just below the palms of Masao. It bubbled menacingly while singing the blonde's skin. Ami who had already started focusing her chakra around her hands tried to dull the boy's pain as much as possible. From the way the boy was screaming, she guessed it wasn't doing much. "Masao, this might be too much for his body to handle!" she cried out while watching the boy convulse under her hands._

 _Masao tuned out the screaming solely focusing on extracting his father's chakra from the young boy. He continued to watch the beautiful orange-red chakra gather into an orb just below his hands. When he heard Ami start to panic, he decided to speak, "We have no choice but to continue! If we stop now, the whiplash will kill him." He said sternly, not taking his eyes off his own hands._

 _Ami narrowed her eyes at him but couldn't argue against it. She turned back towards her patient and continued trying to dull his pain to the best of her abilities. She could feel his heart going erratic and started focusing chakra towards it._

 _Akio looked towards the boy sorrowfully while he continued to keep the protective nature chakra wrapped around the blue-eyed kitsune. His job out of the three is simple, but also the most important. Without his filter, the boy would die. He tried to tune out the pain filled screams but failed miserably. He couldn't and didn't want to imagine what the boy was going through._

 _Hours, upon hours of screaming passed by slowly. Eventually, the screaming stopped all together garnishing the attention of two of the kitsunes who hoped he didn't die. Thankfully, Naruto was still alive, but still in immense pain. The constant screaming had finally taken their toll and wouldn't allow any more noise to escape him. Naruto lied there silently screaming as tears continued to cascade down his face._

 _Ami had tears running down her face watching such an innocent boy go through such a painful process and tried desperately to alleviate the pain. She ran her hand over his throat and pushed her chakra trying to sooth it. Her main concern, however, is the kit's heart. She studied it carefully._

 _The light from the sun vanished replaced with darkness, but the three kitsunes continued the process. The darkness was soon swallowed up by the morning light and the first incident occurred. Naruto's heart from the constant pain, and sheer stress put on his body stopped. Ami quickly got to work and restarted it healing the damage around it. Luckily for Naruto, while his body was still in incredible pain, he was finally unconscious._

 _Three more days passed by slowly and the three clan heads were sweating and tired from the continuous procedure, and thankfully, they were nearing the end. During these days, Naruto had woken up multiple times before quickly passing out from the pain. His heart stopped two more times during the process much to Ami's displeasure. The three kitsune have come far, and Naruto suffered too much for them to wane, so they pushed on past their limits._

 _The massive orange-red orb hovered above Naruto's body hardening into a shell much like Naruto had. "It's done," Masao said tiredly, his legs giving out under him. He collapsed onto his knees in exhaustion. Aki and Ami quickly followed suit, both just as tired from such a lengthy ordeal. "A-Ami, what's the damage?" he asked in between breaths._

" _His heart stopped a total of three times, the third time I almost couldn't save him. His heart will need to be constantly monitored for the next week with constant care. When or if he wakes up from this, his entire body will be sore beyond belief and he will not be able to use his chakra for at least a month. He is covered in burns and missing skin which are luckily rapidly regenerating. He'll need to be placed on strong painkillers to help dull the pain and help relieve the stress off his body. He's alive though, but I have no idea when or if he will ever wake up." She reported professionally but clearly tired, both mentally and physically after this experience._

 _Akio stared at the hardened shell of Kurama's chakra before turning his gaze towards Masao. "How long until Kurama-sama's form stabilizes?" he questioned curiously while laying flat on his back. Unlike Masao and Ami, he was able to use the surrounding nature chakra to help relieve his body._

 _Masao looked up at the harden orange-red shell. "I… I don't know to be honest. We've never done this before, but from recorded knowledge from Naruto, I'll estimate around a week." He responded seriously, but uncertainty laced his words._

 _An hour passed by quickly, and with renewed strength, they stood up. "While you two watch over Kurama-sama, I'll take Naru-chan to the hospital and get him situated," Ami stated, guessing that Masao wouldn't give up the opportunity to study something new and Akio would just stay behind because he could. She got a nod from each of them before picking up Naruto and heading towards the hospital._

 _Two Weeks Later – Kitsune Sanctuary_

 _Sapphire eyes opened warily reflecting the rays of light shining through the window. The bland white ceiling met his gaze. He attempted to sit up only to be met with dull throbbing pain. His eyes flickered to his body but spotted nothing wrong. He began to recall the agonizing procedure he went through to free Kurama. The beginning was clear all the way up to the terrifying pain, then it became distorted, fragmented. He could still feel the pain, but strangely it was like his body only remembered the pain but wasn't in pain. His eyes settled onto the ceiling once more and with a heavy sigh, '_ I hope they succeeded… _' he thought tiredly, not sure if he could ever go through that again._

 _A little while passed before he heard the door to his room slide open. He glanced over and spotted an unfamiliar black haired kitsune looking at him with wide green eyes. Her three equally black tails danced excitably behind her, "You're awake!" the girl dressed in a white medical garb exclaimed. Before Naruto could even open his mouth, the girl rushed out of the room and shut the door. '_ …how long was I asleep for? _' he thought worriedly._

 _He waited for a while before his door finally opened again. Thankfully, he recognized this woman. "Oh, thank goodness you're awake Naru-chan." Ami cried out in relief. She walked over to the bedridden blond and encased him in a deep affectionate hug. It is well known throughout the Sanctuary that the Fumiko clan adored the blond after hearing his sob story. "You've had everyone worried about you." She informed the blue-eyed blond while running her fingers through his golden locks of hair._

 _Naruto felt a mixture of emotions come through with that sentence. Even after being in Sanctuary for five years, he still remembered his treatment in Konoha. He felt elated knowing that people are worried for him but felt equally guilty for making his precious people worry about him, to begin with. He decided to voice a question that popped into his head earlier, "How long was I asleep for?" he asked worriedly._

 _The motherly kitsune looked down at his worried blue eyes, "A little over two weeks." She answered truthfully. The hospital has been keeping a careful eye on the kit since the procedure he undertook. Monitoring his heart and looking for any signs of him waking. They were all worried he wouldn't wake up from such a traumatic experience._

 _Naruto blinked once, twice, three times before her response took root in his head. "Di-did you just say two weeks!?" he cried out in shock. That is the longest he had ever slept before and probably explained the killer headache._

 _Ami continued to massage his scalp, "Calm down kit, we're just happy you woke up at all." She commented soothingly. "How are you feeling?" she asked calmly, her medical instincts beginning to take hold._

" _Sore." He answered blandly getting a soft chuckle from the older vulpine. "My chest hurts slightly, and I have a really bad headache." She answered honestly, but he decided it was his turn to get some answers. "Did it work? Is Kurama free?" he asked hopefully, desperately never wanting to experience whatever he went through again._

 _She smiled at his concern for her father but could tell there was a bit more to it. "Yes, Kurama is free." She said simply, more concerned over him currently. She still remembers the moment Kurama appeared. He immediately took off in a sprint like a sugar high kit. Apparently, it had been a while since he could stretch his legs without the fear of being sealed again. It still made for a humorous sight._

 _Naruto's shoulders sagged down like a great pressure was taken off them. He would never have to experience that pain again, if he could move his body, he would have jumped up and down excitedly. Luckily his survival instincts kicked in and forbid him from doing just that. "So, where is Kurama?" he asked curiously looking up into her amused crystal green eyes._

" _Oh, he's been here and there. He has really been enjoying the newly found freedom you helped give him." She answered with amusement thinking back to her sugar high father. "I imagine he'll most likely visit you once he learns that you woke up." She answered his unasked question._

 _Naruto gave her a questioning gaze as she reminisced over something funny with Kurama but shook it off. He was relatively confident he would hear about it later. He did smile though at hearing how happy his closest – '_ Aw, the pun no longer works… _' he thought sadly – friend was with his freedom. Though he couldn't help but notice how odd it felt not hearing his voice in his head. '_ He would usually say good morning before calling me a brat… _' he thought sadly._

 _*_ _Flashback End_ _*_

Akane tried to stifle the chuckle that escaped her throat. "He's still dealing with the aftermath of his freedom." She chuckled. The stories of Kurama sprinting throughout Sanctuary like a kid discovering sugar for the first time spread like wildfire much to Kurama's embarrassment. They learned quickly to never mention those stories in front of him, otherwise, his _training_ would become more heinous.

The rest of the group joined her in her laughter as they had all heard the stories of Kurama's excitement. The laughter died down when a loud growling sound reverberated from the group. Three sets of eyes landed on the source of the sound. Danno's cheeked dusted pink and turned away from the group before saying, "What? I'm hungry!"

Naruto looked up towards the sky seeing the sun was close to setting. He looked back towards the group and shrugged his shoulders. "It's around dinner time, and we've been training all day." He commented idly. While his stomach didn't growl at the group, he is rather hungry as well. ' _I wonder if I can get Riku to make ramen again…_ ' he thought hopefully.

Akane, Aki, and Danno's danger sense immediately went off. They all glanced at Naruto before sharing a look with each other and nodding their heads lightly in agreement. They would all be keeping an eye on their favorite blond fox for their own safety. "Yeah, you're right. Alright, let's go get some food!" Akane chirped hungrily.

With a plan formulated, the group set off towards their clan compound. As usual, the group quickly split into the normal formation. Aki and Danno walking in the front shoulder to shoulder. Aki smiling and happily chatting with Danno, while the ladder just nodded along with a small smile. Akane and Naruto walked side by side closely behind enjoying the ramblings of their friend. Akane smiled warmly at her close-knit group.

=Masumi Clan Compound=

The four kitsunes enjoyed dinner as usual, and it passed by quickly with almost nothing of importance happening. Riku made a beautiful and rather extensive feat of sushi for the large family to enjoy. The chef couldn't help but bask in the compliments that went unsaid, but he knew they all said it mentally. His ego inflated, even more, it didn't matter if they didn't say anything.

The only important thing that happened was Naruto. Akane, Aki, and Danno should have listened better to their danger senses, but it was too late. Somehow Naruto timed it when all three of them had food in their mouths to ask his deadly question. "Hey Riku, could we have ramen again? You make really good ramen!" the Ramen Killer asked hopefully, buttering up the easily swayed chef.

Almost everyone at the table paled as they remembered the previous ramen meal and hoped Riku would take one for the team. When they all glanced at Riku, their hearts sunk. Riku had stars in his eyes at being complimented and immediately agreed to make ramen again soon. Naruto, of course, flashed a smirk towards Akane who looked defeated.

An hour after dinner a defeated Akane, Aki, and Danno walked through the clan halls with a satisfied Naruto walking closely behind them. As they passed by Kenichi's office, they overheard talking. Each glanced at one another before shrugging their shoulders. They were all known for eavesdropping, their curiosity just got to them. All four pressed their ear up against the door and started to eavesdrop.

"…of our newer operatives went silent recently, and we're worried." A familiar hardened feminine voice said in a stern voice. They quickly recognized the voice as Erza, one of the higher-ups in the kitsune food chain.

"Who went missing, and what was her objective?" Kenichi asked professionally. He took the disappearance, and harm of any of his family seriously. He would protect his family at all costs.

"Akitsu Mana," Erza answered sadly. "She was sent to investigate a suspected taker over of a small country. It was beginning to affect trade routes, and not with favorable results. Her mission was a simple infiltration and gather intel on the current situation." She informed the clan head before her voice hardened. "Her first report came in confirming the situation, and that damn mongrel Gato finally showed his filthy head again. From Akitsu's report, he is bleeding the small country dry and selling their woman and children into slavery. I believe it would be in our best interests to remove this cancerous parasite now." She said professionally yet could easily pick up the venom in her words.

Kenichi closed his eyes in contemplation. "How long has she been silent?" he asked, needing more information to go on. From the information already given, he already knew what he was going to do.

Erza sighed lowly, "She was supposed to report one week and two days ago." She informed getting a hum before she continued, "As you know, it's not uncommon for a report to be delayed, but over a week suggests trouble." She finished in a worried voice. She hoped that the young kitsune was alright.

The man pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. His race has laws that forbid bringing any attention to them. They all knew that if the world discovered their existence, and that they manipulated the world from the shadows, it would only bring trouble. He opened his eyes coming to a clear decision. "We've allowed this Gato to much free reign and is a plague amongst the nations. Erza, you are to recover Akitsu at all cost and assassinate Gato. The second priority is to claim is assets and bring them back to Sanctuary." He said in an authoritative voice.

Erza gave a feral smile and bowed happily before narrowing her eyes. An idea popped into her head and quickly acted on it. "I'd like to take a small _eavesdropping_ team with me, so they may gather viable experience." She suggested while walking towards the office door. Before the four kitsunes knew what was happening, the door quickly slid open causing them to all fall in. Each of them landed on one another and looked up with wide eyes and a sheepish expression. Erza violet eyes stared down at the four sheepish kits, "You four are starting to make this a habit." She said with hidden amusement.

"Akane-chan, Aki-chan, Danno-kun, Naruto-kun… what have I told you four about eavesdropping? He sighed tiredly into his hands. He seems to be sighing a lot lately. A lot of it because of these four troublesome kits.

"Not to…" they all said at once.

"…and what did you do?" he chided them.

A few moments of silence. "eavesdropped…" they answered again.

He rubbed his eyes with his palms and dragged his hands down his face. He sighed again and decided this would be good for them. His eyes met violet, "Permission granted. They're at the age where they should be taking on missions to help Sanctuary." He responded getting a smile from Erza.

"We're going on a mission!?" Naruto and Aki exclaimed in excitement. Akane's eyes lit up in excitement at the opportunity given to them and Danno just stared, but his eyes twinkled with the same excitement. All four of them have been wanting to go out on missions since Natsuko and Isamu started going out on them.

Kenichi shot them a look that told them to calm down. "Yes, you will be accompanying Erza on her mission. You will listen to every order she gives you and learn from her. I expect you four to be on your best behavior and act professionally. I'm putting a lot of faith in you by allowing you to go." He said in a stern voice. Not one of a concerned family member, but of a leader.

While three of the kits were still excited with the mission, Danno decided to get some more information. Having heard what the mission was, he wanted to know the location. "Where exactly are we going?" he asked curiously, already knowing it's a small country of sorts.

Erza glanced down at the boy, "A small island located just off the south coast of Fire Country. We'll be heading to Wave Country." She informed the deceptively intelligent kitsune.

Akane had a question of her own that she is curious about. "The man we're supposed to assassinate, Gato, is he the same guy you spoke of a few years back? The one who captured three of our own?" she questioned simply wanting to know if they were the same person. When Erza's eyes hardened, she assumed her guess was correct.

"Yes, and this time he won't be escaping me." She answered, but everyone heard the silent promise being made. The three kitsunes that the man captured were abused while held in their cage. It made her blood boil knowing that this filthy human was still out there after what he did. However, vengeance was brewing and would be delivered soon. She shook her head slightly deciding to get back on track. "We'll be heading out at the crack of dawn, so I expect all four of you to be at the gate fully prepped." She said sternly.

"How long should we pack for?" Danno asked a simple but important question again.

Erza shut her eyes and considered the details. "Pack for a long-term mission, around a month." She replied after considering the travel time, and time-sensitive objectives.

The four young kitsunes each nodded their head and quickly got back to their feet before leaving to pack for their first mission. Once they were out of earshot, Kenichi spoke up. "Do you believe they are ready for this Erza?" he asked worriedly. He knew that his daughter and friends were skilled for their age, but his over-protective father instincts decided to show its head.

Erza looked back at the concerned father and smiled gently at the man. "Those kids are strong, I've seen them train. Give them a few years and they just might be competing with me." She said giving her own opinion. Those four were at the age and skill level to start doing basic missions already, and complex missions with experienced kitsunes. This would be considered a complex mission.

Kenichi sighed once more, "Alright, I'll leave them in your capable hands." He said calmly. However, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the seven-tailed vulpine, "But, if any of them don't come back from this, you will be severally punished." He said with absolute authority.

The amethyst kitsune nodded her head briskly at the warning and walked out of the office without another word. She would need a good night sleep, and pack for a long-term mission. Though a toothy smile worked itself on her face. ' _Oh Gato, your days have been numbered since the day I heard of you. It looks like your time has finally run out._ ' He mentally chuckled disappearing into the darkened halls of the clan compound.

=Kitsune Sanctuary – Gate=

The sun gently rose over the horizon illuminating the beautiful home of the kitsunes. The morning dew on the tree glistened, reflecting the early morning rays lighting up the forest. The cool morning breeze ruffled the tree leaves.

Sitting in a close-knit circle, four young kitsunes talked excitedly together. Akane, Aki, Danno, and Naruto had arrived just before dawn, so they didn't keep Erza waiting. They were extremely thankful Riku woke up earlier to make them a delicious and hefty morning meal. He only gave them a soft smile before returning to the comfort of his bed.

Erza appeared in the distance and walked towards the four-person circle. Once she was close enough, she asked, "Are you four prepared? Do you have your supplies on you?" They each stood up and formed a line in front of her.

Akane decided to speak for the group. "Yes, we each have a month worth of supplies sealed away." She said getting a nod from her three friends as they each patted their multiple sealing scrolls. Inside those scrolls, were camping gear, medical field kit, cooking utensils, preserved food, water, and other various things.

"Good, shift into mission form and we'll head out." She said while simultaneously shifting her own form. Her amethyst eyes lost their vertical slit, her ears shifted to a more human appearance, and her seven tails vanished completely. To the outside world, she would easily be mistaken for a regular human.

Unlike humans who try to mimic a shapeshift, the kitsunes can truly shift their forms. There was no way to detect their transformation as it was completely real. If they died in this form, they would not transform back. The same would happen if they died in their animal form. They could also stay in this form indefinitely. When outside the Sanctuary, they were not allowed to walk around with their legendary tails, or other kitsune parts.

The four young kitsunes followed suit and shifted into what the kitsunes of Sanctuary dubbed as mission form. Akane, Aki, Danno, and Naruto all lost their fuzzy features looking completely human. Which, according to Naruto, should be considered a crime against foxmanity. The foxes rolled their eyes but silently agreed with the blonde. The form felt unnatural to them, but they dealt with it.

The mission leader nodded her head. "Then let's get going. We have to cross the entirety of the fire country, and that's a long trip." She said turning from the group. She walked into the rift vanishing without a trace.

Aki cheered excitedly and bolted through the rift vanishing in a similar fashion which was quickly followed by Danno. Akane was about to walk through the rift before she turned around and noticed a hesitant blonde. When she thought about it, this would be the first time he's left the Sanctuary. She smiled sadly at him, "It's okay Naru-kun, we'll come back." She said soothingly.

Naruto glanced up at Akane and noticed her concerned look. He nodded his head and gave her a bright smile that easily brought a smile to his best friend. He stood beside her and they both walked through the rift leaving Sanctuary, not to return until their mission is completed.

= **Omake: We Made A Mistake** =

It was almost an average day in the alternative version of Konoha. The sun was still shining high in the sky, the village is still completely devoid of people other than the two inhabitants. Everything was almost the same except for one minor detail.

Two legendary shinobi stood side by side in the Hokage's office staring out the window. Their bodies were frozen solid in a mixture of emotions. They both knew one thing for certain, they had made a mistake.

"We made a mistake," Minato said as he continued to stare out the window beside his wife. It was a folly on their part, and they both knew it. He regrets so much.

"…yes, yes we did," Kushina said in a monotone voice. Her eyes were dull, lifeless as she stared at the horrific scene in front of her. A scene she would have to live in for a very long time.

"We should have been more specific." He commented in a dead tone.

"…yes, we should have." She replied in the same tone.

You may be asking yourselves, what could possibly turn two legendary shinobi into this? The answer is simple and right in front of them. The village was no longer tinted an eerie orange color that they asked to be changed. They would have been extremely thankful for that if not for what the nature spirit replaced it with. Instead of the eerie orange tinted Konoha, it was replaced with a bubblegum pink tinted Konoha. Nightmare fuel indeed.

"I think I hate Midori." The Yellow Flash commented.

"As do I," Kushina responded.

Off in the distance, Midori sat on top of a roof laughing evilly at her masterful prank. She would let them stew in this pink nightmare for a while before she considered changing it again. Maybe she would do a neon green next time?

* * *

A/N - Wow, what a ride that one was. I'm not going to lie, this chapter makes me more nervous than my decision to give Naruto kitsune parts. I'm not completely satisfied with the fight scene in this chapter, and actually corrected one of my own mistakes in the story. I plan on showing hand-to-hand combat soon as well.

What do you think of their pre-teen/early teen clothes?

Did I do better in describing the fight scene? I've been reading a lot of fighting stories and taking notes on how people write them. I'm no expert, but I think I'm getting better.

What do you think of Kurama-sensei?

Did you all like how I extracted Kurama?

Sugar high Kurama anyone?

Ramen strikes again, and Riku continues to be amazing!

Finally, the world starts to turn. This was not an easy decision for me, as I originally had something else planned before this, but decided against it for now. I've not scrapped my earlier idea, just moved it to fit better with the story. Either way, the wave arc has begun!

Did you all enjoy my omake?

Thank you for reading chapter five of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you enjoyed it and decide to come back for chapter seven! I have plans for this arc that will change things in the future.

If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N - Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter of Kitsune Sanctuary! I've been inspired to try and write faster, and I somehow managed to write my longest chapter yet. Not only that, but this is one of my favorite chapters because of one scene I wrote. I won't spoil it, but I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it. I'll continue to try and update as quickly as I can.

Please leave your feedback, positive, negative, or both! There's just something about receiving a review that makes everything worth it!

=Reviews=

 **Buterflypuss** \- Thank you, I'm glad you liked it.

 **Azaira** \- Glad you enjoyed it! I also agree with you, but they are actually strong for their age. I hope to show you that soon-ish.

 **Doomqwer** \- Glad you liked that part. I figured being given your freedom after so long would make you want to stretch your legs. I want to make this clear as well, the wave arc will be different. I don't want a canon rehash.

 **KakeruPB** \- Glad you like the outfits. Yami will be explained, so don't worry. There is an actual reason for my decision, I promise! Akane and Yami will also be explained as well! Glad you liked my Kurama scene, and I'm sorry for making Naruto suffer. I didn't want it to be a simple method since the Akatsuki seemed to struggle with the same situation. Whoever said I don't know? I'm glad I'm starting to get better, and thanks for the recommendations. Praise ramen-sama! We'll see, but don't get your hopes up!

 **TigrezzTail** \- These are all good questions that I can't answer for reasons! I'm glad you enjoyed my fight scene!

 **Frankieu** \- You're welcome! Thank you for reading it!

 **Theriku260** \- Glad I can satisfy! I wonder as well, guess you'll just have to read and find out! That's a good idea, I might just do that! To everyone reading this, go read From Academy to ANBU! It's an entertaining story!

 **Kaizon-chan** \- I'm sorry for hurting Naruto! Forgive me Kaizon-chan! I like to believe Naruto has a very strong will that would be very difficult to break. It might help that he was passed out for most of it. Maybe. I don't mind in the slightest, I actually find it fun!

 **Shapeshifter340** \- I have done just that!

 **StallionWolf** \- I have a feeling a lot of people do!

 **Guests** \- You'll find out soon. It'll be explained in the future. Meh.

Please enjoy the story, everyone!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

Update - 8/28/2018: Shower scene mostly removed. I agreed with a reviewer that the scene was unnecessary.

* * *

=Konohagakure no Sato: Apartment Building=

Poppy golden eyes drowsily opened slowly spotting the familiar eggshell white ceiling of her apartment. Blinking a few times trying to clear the morning fog from her eyes, she eventually rubbed both tiredly with her hands. A few more blinks later, she raised her arms high into the air above her head and released a small satisfied moan as she stretched her body. Her arms fell back against the bed in contentment before slowly turning her head to the left and staring at her alarm clock. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, "…team placements are today," she whispered to herself. Her head went back to its original position, staring at the white ceiling.

An internal battle raged viciously inside her as she decided if she should just say screw it and go back to bed or get ready for the academy. To her displeasure, the sensible side of her won. Shutting her eyes, she released a regretful sigh before grabbing her heavy amethyst colored comforter and tossing it off her. She kicked both her legs off her bed and sat straight up. Her eyes stared out the window that overlooked a small part of the village which glowed in the morning rays before she glanced down at her legs tiredly. Pressing the balls of her feet against the floor, she pushed herself up being greeted with the usual creaking of the chestnut floor. Her arms slowly shot up towards the ceiling stretching her body getting an audible pop.

She gave another pleasurable moan of satisfaction from her stretching before glancing around her bedroom. Her room isn't large, but it's big enough to have a proper sized bed, a small nightstand, and a dresser. Her bedroom luckily came with a small closet which could hold a decent amount of clothes. Her apartment's walls are all the same beige color the apartment originally came with never caring enough to change them.

As if a switch flipped on inside her head, she began her daily routine. The first step is making her bed, which she did neatly making it look like she never slept in it before. Afterward, she walked over to her bedroom door and pulled it open silently. She took a step outward and glanced down the hallway.

Her apartment is relatively small but has an assortment of rooms. Her bedroom is at the far-left end of her apartment, on the opposite side of her bedroom is the bathroom. If you walk down the short hallway, you come into her small living room which also acts partially as her dining room. Connected to that room is an open kitchen. The front door leads into the living room, but on the right side is a small room that holds her washing and drying machine.

Seeing nothing unusual, she took a few steps and opened her bathroom door. She took a couple of steps inside and closed it behind her. Her bathroom is compact but holds everything she needs to clean herself. It has a cabinet with a built-in sink and a rectangular mirror resting above it. A toilet and a stand-up shower big enough to stand in comfortably. The only large difference from the rest of the apartment is the tiled floor.

She quickly undressed and turned on the shower waiting for it to heat up. It only took a few moments before the water warmed enough to get in. A few minutes later the water turned off and she stepped out feeling squeaky clean. She dried her body off with a white towel that was hanging on the wall before glancing at the foggy mirror.

Her eyes lingered for a few moments before turning away and wrapping the towel around her body. She opened the door letting out the rest of the heat into the cold hallway and walked back into her bedroom. She let the towel drop to the floor and stepped over to her dresser. Opening a drawer, she grabbed a matching pair of beige undergarments. She slid her underwear on and fastened on her sports bra.

She walked around her room gathering the rest of her outfit before putting them on. She casually walked back over to the bathroom to finish the rest of her routine. Standing in front of the mirror, she grabbed her toothbrush and quickly brushed her teeth before rinsing her mouth out with water. She then grabbed a hairbrush and began the struggle of long hair, knots. She has considered multiple times cutting her hair but loves her hair too much to go through with it. A few minutes of brushing later, she grabbed a red elastic band and tied her hair into a ponytail.

Her head tilted slightly to the right as she glanced over her complete look and nodded in satisfaction. She stood at 4'10" which is slightly above average for the twelve-year-old girl. She has beautiful ivory toned skin and a figure that's still a work in progress. However, her training has helped her tone her legs and arms. Her long auburn hair is pulled back in layers before being tied in a ponytail that curls around itself at the end. She has a slightly round face which matched her round poppy golden eyes.

She wore a sleeveless dark purple shirt that ended at her waist, black shorts that stopped in the middle of her thighs. Around both of her thighs are white athletic bandages that stop just above her kneecap. She wore long black fingerless gloves that reached just below her shoulders. Overall, her outfit gave her flexibility while staying moderately fashionable.

Her stomach rumbled lightly indicating that she is hungry. She stepped out of the bathroom and made her way down the small hallways and walked through her living room. She walked into her kitchen and started preparing breakfast. Her kitchen like the rest of her apartment is small but sustainable for a single person. The kitchen has a moderately sized dark-grey marble countertop with a built-in sink and oven. On the far end is a decent sized fridge.

She grabbed some whole wheat bread and slipped them into her toaster. While her bread is toasting, she opened her fridge and fished out the leftover smoked salmon, head of lettuce, butter, and milk. She went over to one of her cabinets and grabbed a glass cup and plate. She filled the cup halfway with cold milk and took a sip before the toaster popped. Grabbing the toast, she buttered it lightly and put a leaf of lettuce on top. Afterward, she put a thick chunk of leftover smoked salmon over that. Quickly putting away the rest of her ingredients and milk, she took her plate and glass over to her small table.

Her dining room, or what she designated as her dining space is just outside her kitchen. She has a simple wooden table with two chairs with a salt and pepper shaker on top. She sat down and took a bite of her simple, healthy breakfast savoring the flavor. It made the food even better knowing she is using leftovers. It didn't take her long to finish her meal and clean up afterward.

She glanced up at the clock hanging on her wall and realized it is time to leave or she would be late for the academy. She walked back into her bedroom to grab the rest of her equipment. Sitting on her nightstand is her dark purple kunai and shuriken pouch, and her Konoha hitai-ate. She traced her fingers over the leaf before tying it around her forehead proudly. She worked hard for this and rightfully earned it. She grabbed her pouch and tied it around her right leg.

Doing a last double check, she grabbed her keys and left towards the front door. She slid her black shinobi sandals, took a deep breath and opened the door. She walked out and shut the door behind her. A click was heard from the silent apartment signifying she locked the door.

=Konohagakure no Sato: Academy=

The young preteen arrived at Konoha's shinobi academy shortly after leaving her apartment. You started the academy at the age of eight and learned the best ways to serve Konoha and eliminate its enemies. There are some cases of kids starting as young as six, but you needed to have the higher-ups recommend it.

The academy is a uniquely designed building located directly at the base of the Hokage Mountain. Perhaps the idea of being taught underneath the past and current leaders of the village helped inspire loyalty and gave the students a sense of safety. The walls of the building are white with red lining and orange roofing. The color scheme of the building scream fire, which matches Konoha's will of fire.

She walked through the halls of the academy passing a few eager students talking excitedly with one another before arriving at her destination. Sliding the door open silently, she walked inside and glanced around. A few of her peers are standing around in their groups chatting while others are sitting on their lonesome waiting patiently.

Her classroom is large, easily able to fit twenty-seven students. The walls of the room are a soothing pistachio green with oaken wood beams protruding outwards giving the walls more depth. The floor is a paneled chestnut wood that went up three layers fitting three three-person desks each layer. Towards the front of the room is a large black chalkboard, a podium with a desk on top for the teacher to give his lectures. On the right wall is a line of windows letting in a comfortable amount of sunlight.

Her eyes locked onto her usual seat and sat down making herself comfortable. Resting one of her pals against her chin she let her eyes drift towards her fellow classmates. Unlike the other classes that held mostly civilian children with shinobi children sprinkled here and there, her class is filled to the brim with future clan heirs. While she may not be a clan heir, she thankfully has a shinobi parent background.

Sasuke Uchiha, one of the last living Uchiha and the last loyal Uchiha after the famed "Uchiha Massacre". The details of the event are hidden from the public, but it's well known that the previous clan heir went insane and slaughtered his entire clan. Rumors spread stating that before he left, he tortured his little brother before fleeing Konoha. Sasuke never denied nor confirmed these remarks.

The young Uchiha heir is twelve and stands at 4'9". He has cold black eyes that shine with arrogance, spiky black hair with a slight blue tint and two long bangs that go down his angular face. He wears a short-sleeved navy-blue shirt with a high collar and the Uchiha crest proudly shown on the back, white shorts with white athletic bandages tied around his right leg. He has white arm warmers with various black belts tied around arms and navy-blue sandals with athletic bandages tied around his calves. He has a black pouch tied around his right leg and a navy-blue hitai-ate around his forehead.

Hinata Hyūga, the black sheep of the Hyūga clan. It's a well-known secret that most of her clan loathes their future clan head. There are even rumors of her father abusing her physically and mentally. Their dislike most likely comes from her meek stature, irritable stuttering, and overly kind nature. People have speculated that the younger sister will take the position as clan heiress in the future.

The Hyūga heiress is twelve standing at 4'8". She has pure white eyes due to her clan's doujutsu, the Byakugan. Short dark blue hair cut in a hime style with two bangs framing her round face. She wears a cream-colored hooded jack with white fur lining the cuffs and hem and two fire symbols just below her shoulders, black pants with white athletic bandages tied around her right leg. She has short navy-blue sandals, a black pouch tied around her right leg, and wears her Konoha hitai-ate around her neck.

Kiba Inuzuka; he's not really known for much other than being brash, stubborn, and bull-headed. Some people consider him to be the clan heir but somehow forget about his older sister who holds clan heiress. It's unknown which of the siblings will be taking over the position in the future. Either way, the young Inuzuka has a bright future in tracking due to his incredible sense of smell that's still be nurtured.

The possible Inuzuka heir is twelve and stands at 4'9". He has sharp black eyes with vertical slit-like pupils, messy brown hair, pronounced canine teeth, sharpened nails, and an angular face. On each of his cheeks are red fang like marks. These features giving him a wild appearance, showing his clans bestial side. He wears a grey hooded black fur-lined coat with the hood usually placed on his head, underneath his coat is a chainmail shirt. He wears dark-green pants that stop at his ankles with navy-blue sandals, a light-grey pouch at his waist, and a blue hitai-ate tied around his forehead.

Shino Aburame, the future clan head of the Aburame clan. While not much is known about the boy, he is what most would consider the ideal shinobi. He has great control over his emotions and able to think through situations logically. His clan, however, has a stigma about them for housing a colony of insects inside of them. This has a side effect of isolating them from their peers.

The stoic Aburame heir is twelve standing at the impressive height of 5'1". He is fair-skinned with dark-brown bushy hair. He wears the same style clothing as the rest of his clan consisting of a sea-green jacket with a high, upturned collar, dark-brown pants with white athletic bandages tied around his right leg. Throughout most of his life he has worn his signature round sunglasses, so most people don't know what his eyes look like. He wears short blue sandals, a black pouch tied around his right leg, and a blue hitai-ate tied around his forehead.

Shikamaru Nara, the lazy genius, dead last of the academy, and heir to the Nara clan. At most times during the day, you can find Shikamaru sleeping during class, laying in the grassy fields watching the clouds roam past, or playing Shogi with his father. The young Nara has managed to take laziness to a new level. However, his clan has praised his genius making quite a few people curious on his IQ. If the Naras' claim it, it's hard to deny.

The lazy Nara heir is twelve years old standing at 4'9". He has narrow brown eyes that easily hint that he is bored or irritated depending on the situation. He has shoulder length black hair tied in a ponytail that resembles a pineapple. He wears a green-lined mesh armor shirt under a short-sleeved green-lined grey jacket that only covers his chest with the Nara clan symbol on the back. He wears dark-brown pants that end just below the kneecap with a thin black belt around his waist and white athletic bandages tied around his right leg. He also wears traditional silver hoop earrings, a navy-blue pouch tied around his right leg, blue sandals, and a blue hitai-ate tied around his left arm just above his elbow.

Chōji Akimichi, the kind-hearted big-boned heir to the Akimichi clan. The plump boy is a connoisseur and is constantly eating. He's best friends with Shikamaru usually following him around. His family's love for food expands throughout Konoha as they run most of the restaurants throughout it. While most people would consider their clan fat, which is a taboo word for them, they use it for their clan jutsu which burn through calories.

The hefty Akimichi heir is twelve years old standing at 4'9". He has narrow black eyes, spiky brown hair that sticks upward, and two swirl marking adorned on his cheeks. He wears a light-green short-sleeved shirt with the kanji for "food" adorned on it, overtop he has a short-sleeved green haori with a long, white scarf. He also wears black shorts that end at his knees with white athletic bandages tied around his right leg, traditional hoop earrings like his best friend, and wears a blue hitai-ate type cap that allows two tufts of hair to poke out at each side. His arms and legs are wrapped up in bandages up to his elbow and knees and wears short blue sandals.

The last clan heiress hasn't arrived yet, but the sound of stampeding animals reverberating from behind the classroom door, she guessed she would be arriving shortly. As if on cue, the classroom door slammed open gathering the attention of almost everyone in the room. Two young preteens fought to get inside the room first while butting heads. She sighed lowly, ' _They give kunoichi such a bad reputation…_ ' she thought irritably.

Ino Yamanaka, the self-proclaimed gossip queen of Konoha, and future clan head of the Yamanaka clan. Like her father, she had a bright future in Torture and Interrogation but fell into the fangirl bandwagon. She sacrificed training and started dieting to watch her figure which only helped ruin her body further. Hopefully, the heiress would get her act together after experiencing life as a shinobi.

The twig-like Yamanaka heiress is twelve standing at 4'8". She is fair-skinned with light blue eyes that sparkle with excitement, beautiful long platinum blonde hair done in a ponytail that extends to her waist with bangs framing the right side of her face. She wears a purple sleeveless high-collared blouse exposing her midriff, a matching purple apron skirt that extends to her knees, with short blue sandals. Her stomach and thighs have white athletic bandages tied around them. She wears a purple pouch tied around her right leg, traditional hoop earrings, white arm warmers, and has her hitai-ate worn as a belt.

The girl butting heads with the Yamanaka heiress is Sakura Haruno, the number one Sasuke fangirl. She comes from a civilian merchant background with no known shinobi in the family. Through circumstance, she is blessed with perfect chakra control, but only because of her pathetic reserves. Her lack of training hasn't helped her either, leaving her body the equivalent to a civilian. However, she does have a good memory, and high intelligence earning her high testing scores. Due to her book smarts, she somehow managed to snag the title of Kunoichi of the year.

The civilian girl is twelve standing at 4'8". She is fair-skinned, with green eyes and strangely, long bubblegum pink hair with her bangs framing her slightly round face. She wears a short-sleeved white-lined red qipao dress with a small zipper down the front, tight dark-green shorts that go down to just above her knees with white athletic bandages tied around her right leg. She has a black pouch tied around her right leg, blue sandals, and her hitai-ate worn as a hairband.

Both girls tumbled into the room falling face first onto the wooden floor. They both quickly stood up and patted down their clothes before Sakura smirked at her rival in love. "I made it first Ino-pig!" she shouted out in victory sending her a peace sign. The lass stared at them minus a few uninterested students. This is a common occurrence amongst the class; Ino and Sakura would both fight over who made it first to sit next to their beloved "Sasuke-kun".

Ino glared at her rival and put a hand on her hip. "Yeah right, I totally made it first Forehead!" the platinum blonde preteen rebuked easily. From her point of view, her toe clearly was inside the classroom first. Sakura clearly wasn't paying enough attention to the tiny details.

The pink-haired girl stared at her rival in complete disbelief. "What!? My foot was clearly in before any part of you!" she argued while pointing down towards her food which was indeed inside the classroom. It didn't matter to her that Ino's foot was also inside the classroom, nor did it matter that they were both standing inside the classroom making it a moot point.

The purple clothed girl ignored the pointing and smirked at her rival, her light blue eyes gained a mirthful gleam. "You know, if you would have said your forehead, I might have believed you," she commented slyly. Her once friend recoiled physically as if she was struck.

Sakura was about to retort but her green eyes spotted the target of her interest sitting all alone staring out the window as usual. Her eyes sparkled with intent, but she needed to be silent like a ninja and steal the seat before her rival noticed the vacant seat as well. "Sasuke-kun!" she shouted out in glee completely ignoring her previous thought tossing Ino to the side. Running down the steps, she sat directly beside the dark-haired boy and smiled lovingly at him. "Good morning Sasuke-kun," she said seductively.

Sasuke shot the pink-haired girl a quick glance and noticed how close she is sitting and smiling weirdly at him. He shrugged his shoulder uncaringly and went back to watching the clouds float freely through the endless blue sky. He didn't even feel the need to give her the patented Uchiha grunt as for some odd reason, it made her want to try harder. He desperately hoped that one day she would take a hint and leave him alone.

Ino got up the ground and rubbed her sore bottom before gaping at Sakura who managed to swindle her rightful seat. She was about to walk over and resume her vocal battle, but sadly, their sensei walked in and motioned for everyone to sit down. She eyed her exfriend sadly before sitting down beside Shikamaru and Chōji. She didn't mind sitting beside them as they are both her childhood friends.

The poppy gold eyed girl stared at her sensei with interest. The man is bandaged as if he was recently in a battle. She has always enjoyed him, though she personally – and most of the class – believed he should work on his lectures. The man is named Iruka Umino, otherwise known as Iruka-sensei. He's a kind, fair teacher who took pride in teaching the next generation of shinobi. It was obvious to everyone how passionate he was when teaching.

Iruka Umino is twenty-two standing at 5'8". He has dark-brown eyes, black hair he keeps up in a ponytail, and a thick scar across the bridge of his nose. He wears the standard Konoha shinobi outfit consisting of a black long-sleeve shirt, a matching pair of pants, and a green flak jacket. White athletic bandages are tied around his ankles and his right leg. He has his hitai-ate tied around his head proudly, short black sandals, and a black pouch neatly secured against his right leg.

Iruka waited for everyone to take their seat sending them a friendly smile. Once everyone took their seat he said, "Good morning class," in a welcoming manner which was returned by most of the class. He walked over to his desk and ruffled through some papers before grabbing a clipboard with the names of each student. Before he could start attendance, Sakura asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Um, Iruka-sensei, what happened to you and where is Mizuki-sensei?" she asked curiously. Every student watched Iruka expectantly who just sighed tiredly. A few of the more inquisitive students figured the injured Iruka and missing Mizuki were interconnected.

Iruka sighed tiredly with sadness showing in his eyes. "Mizuki betrayed Konoha yesterday by stealing an important scroll from the Hokage's office. I managed to capture him but not without taking some injuries," he commented morosely. Even now he is still having trouble believing his childhood friend would do something so traitorous. They were lucky they managed to secure the Scroll of Seals before it got into whoever's hands Mizuki is working for. He shook his head, now was not the time to think about this. "However, we're not here to discuss that, instead we're here to put you into your designated teams," he stated making most of the class widen their eyes.

"Before I get to that, first I have to do roll call. When I call your name, say here," he said calmly before looking down at the paper. He started at the top and began making his way through the names. The poppy gold eyed girl ignored most of the names only listening for her own. "Shino Aburame?"

The bug user stared directly into the teacher's eyes, or at least Iruka felt like he did. "Here," he said in a monotone voice, his face revealing nothing.

"Chōji Akimichi?"

The plump Akimichi swallowed a mouthful of his favorite barbeque chips and raised his hand into the air, "Here!" he cried out before stuffing his mouth full of another helping of chips.

"Hinata Hyūga?"

The pale-eyed girl tapped both of her index fingers together, "H-here sensei…" she stuttered out shyly. Her head slowly but sure retreating into her hoodie.

"Kiba Inuzuka?"

The feral boy gave a toothy smile and his ninken yipped happily. "Here sensei!" he roared out excitedly followed by more happy yips from his companion.

"Arisu Miu?"

Her name finally being called she gave her teacher a friendly smile, "I'm here Iruka-sensei," she answered respectively. Iruka gave her a short nod before continuing with the list.

"Shikamaru Nara?"

The pineapple-haired boy raised his head off the desk and gave Iruka a bored gaze. "Troublesome, I'm here…" he replied in a bored tone before dropping his head on his desk. The class missed the small twitch Iruka's eye gave away as his impossibly lazy student continued his lazy streak even on the final day.

"Sasuke Uchiha?"

The Uchiha graced his teacher with an annoyed look, "Hn," he grunted signaling that he is indeed sitting in class. How could such a simple grunt convey so much? Somehow, everyone again missed the less subtle twitch of Iruka's eye.

"Ino Yamanaka?"

The platinum blond smiled cheerfully and raised a hand high into the air, "Here sensei," she chirped out happily.

Iruka nodded his head in satisfaction at everyone showing up on time. "First off, I want to say how proud I am to have helped you grow into the fine shinobi you are today. However, this was the easy part," he said seriously. "From this point onwards, you will be genin, the lowest ranking shinobi. You will face trials that will test you both physically and mentally, but I have faith that you will succeed and accomplish your dreams," he said in a proud voice making most of the students gain a small smile except for the more stoic emotionless ones.

He flipped over a sheet on his clipboard revealing team placements. "You will be put in teams of three with a jonin instructor, an elite shinobi. I expect you all to treat them with the same respect you showed me and more," he said expectantly glancing at everyone. After a few seconds, he continued, "I will now call out teams, please listen carefully," he paused again to make sure everyone is paying attention to him. Thankfully, every student is silent and attentive, even the Nara.

Arisu watched Iruka glance back down at his clipboard before he began calling out teams. "Team one, Ami Namazu…" and she easily shut it out. While she ignored the unimportant teams, she still slightly enjoyed the reactions everyone gave to their placements. Surprisingly the boys would either cheer at being put with their friend or stay silent and uncaring. The girls, however, all whined about not being on Sasuke's team. She swore she saw Sasuke relax more and more every fangirl that wasn't placed with him.

Honestly, she only cared about hearing which team she would be on and her instructor's name. She didn't really care who she got paired with as long as they took being a shinobi seriously. ' _Now that I think about it, I only hope I'm not paired with any of the kunoichis…_ ' she thought sweating slightly at the possibility.

Iruka glanced down at the next team placement and began reading it off. "Team Seven, Arisu Miu," he called out instantly garnishing her attention. "Sakura Haruno," he called out the second name and immediately heard a loud bang. He took his eyes off the clipboard and looked towards Arisu who slammed her head against her desk. Sweating slightly, he read the next name, "Sasuke Uchiha." Sakura cheered loudly about how true love conquers all, but everyone was to busy focusing on Arisu who vigorously slammed her head against her desk. "You will be led by Kakashi Hatake," he finished awkwardly trying to ignore the loud head slamming.

Coughing into his hand getting everyone's attention off Arisu he continued reading team placements. "Team Eight, Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, you will be led by Kurenai Yūhi," he read off getting a small smile from Hinata, a loud happy cheer from Kiba. The only one who didn't show anything was Shino, but the class just assumed he was happy.

"Team Nine is still in circulation," he stated moving onto the next team. "Team Ten, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Chōji Akimichi, you will be led by Asuma Sarutobi," he read off the final team. Ino complained about the injustice of it all, while Shikamaru just rested his head on his desk. Chōji continued to eat chips while smiling happily at Shikamaru.

Iruka smiled at each of his students. "That's all the team placements. You will be given an hour lunch, but I expect you all back here before your jonin-sensei arrive," he announced getting a larger smile from Chōji. "Does anyone have any question before I dismiss you?" he asked seriously but didn't get any indication that anyone had a question. However, just before he could dismiss the class, Arisu spoke up.

Once Arisu heard her name she immediately started paying attention. There were mostly only clan heirs left, which left her in high hopes of a good team. Whatever hope she had were crushed when she heard Sakura called out and rightfully slammed her face against the desk in disappointment. She raised her head just in time for Sasuke's name to be called out and her self-restraint vanished and pummeled the desk with her face vigorously. She didn't know who Kakashi was, but knowing her luck, he would be an awful teacher. ' _Why do I feel like a filler character in a story?_ ' she mentally cried out.

Shaking her head at the wall-breaking thought, she started thinking about her team more. In truth, the whole team puzzled her. She had done some research and discovered a long-passed tradition of the Rook of the Year, Kunoichi of the Year, and the dead last being paired together to help balance the team. The issue is that she isn't the dead last, not even close. Finally done slamming her head against the desk, she voiced her concerns. "Excuse me, Iruka-sensei?" she asked in a deceptively calm voice that betrayed her earlier actions.

"Yes, Arisu?"

"May I inquire why I've been placed on a team with those two? No disrespect toward those two, but from what I understand, shouldn't the dead last be paired with those two?" she asked curiously but everyone could just barely make out the hint of annoyance in her voice. Most of the students gave her looks of sympathy mixed in with jealousy at who she got paired with. Sympathy from being paired with Sakura, and jealousy – from the girls – from being paired with Sasuke.

Iruka closed his eyes and nodded his head expecting this question from the girl's dramatic act earlier. "You are correct," he conceded getting curious stares from some of the students who didn't know that. "However, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji have had their team planned since they started the academy. Since Shikamaru placed at the bottom, someone else needed to fill in his position. You were picked as a replacement," he answered factually while explaining the situation carefully. Seeing the auburn-haired girl nod her head in acceptance, he asked, "Any more questions?" Seeing no one else voice any more questions, he dismissed the class before leaving the room.

=Konohagakure no Sato: Hokage's Office=

Inside the Hokage's office stood a plethora of jonin spying on the future genin through the Sandaime Hokage's mystical crystal ball. Each jonin learning which students they would possibly be taking under their belt while also gauging their reactions. Most of the jonin kept a blank expression on their face while a couple showed their disappointment. Quite a few of them wanted to teach some of the clan heirs.

However, two of the three jonin who managed to snag the clan heirs wore a small smile. The two that smiled had requested the team specifically to create specialized teams and for more personal reasons. Once the elderly leader heard their reasoning, he told them he would consider it.

One of the two smiling jonin is Asuma Sarutobi, the son of Hiruzen Sarutobi. The young man is a previous member of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi which all served directly under the Daimyō. His decision to leave Konoha was greatly frowned upon by his father, but he went anyways.

The previous Guardian is twenty-seven years old standing at the impressive height of 6'2". He's an olive-skinned man with deep brown eyes, short spiky black hair, and a well-maintained beard. He wears the standard Konoha shinobi uniform consisting of a black long-sleeve shirt with two red spirals on each shoulder, matching black pants, and short black sandals. Tied around his waist is a light-grey sash with the kanji for fire embroidered on it. His ankles, right thigh, and arms are each wrapped in white athletic bandages. He has a black kunai pouch tied around his right leg, two black bangles hanging from his wrists, and his black hitai-ate proudly displayed around his forehead.

The other smiling jonin is Kurenai Yūhi, one of the upcoming jonin of the village securing the title, "Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha". She made a name for herself by specializing in one of the less used shinobi arts, genjutsu. It's the art of illusions, and no one in Konoha could claim to be better than her.

The Genjutsu Mistress is twenty-seven years old standing at the much shorter 5'5". She's a beautiful slender fair-skinned woman with silky black untamed hair reaching her lower back. Her strikingly unique rose-red eyes have an additional darker ring in them highlighted with purple eyeshadow, and small lips coated in red lipstick. She wears a red long-sleeve mesh armored blouse with only her right sleeve being visible. Overtop, she wears a unique bandaged style dress that resembled a rose thorn pattern. Her hands and thighs are wrapped in white athletic bandages leaving her fingers uncovered. She also wears short dark-blue sandals, and her black hitai-ate around her forehead slightly covered by her hair.

The last jonin who received a clan heir is Kakashi Hatake, but he did not smile. The young man is hailed as a genius prodigy who graduated at the impressive age of five years old and reaching the rank of jonin at twelve. However, once he got promoted, everything in his life began to crumble. Both of his teammates perished one after the other dragging him into depression. He joined ANBU to escape and slowly started to get his life back on track, but then his sensei died sealing the Kyūbi alongside his wife. Four years later, he lost the final thing linking to his lost family, Naruto.

Kakashi Hatake, the holder of many titles such as "Copy Ninja Kakashi", "Kakashi of the Sharingan", and "Friend-Killer Kakashi". The young man is twenty-six years old standing at the average height of 5'9". He's a fair-skinned with gravity-defying silver hair that favored his left side. His one visible dark-grey eye conveyed nothing giving him one of the greatest poker faces. Like Asuma, he wears Konoha's standard uniform consisting of a dark blue long-sleeve shirt with two red spirals on each shoulder with a green flak jacket overtop, matching dark blue pants, and short dark blue sandals. His ankles and right leg are wrapped in white athletic bandages. He also wears dark blue fingerless gloves with a metal plate on the backhand, a chain necklace underneath his uniform, a dark blue mask that covers most of his face with his dark blue hitai-ate covering his left eye.

Once the teacher dismissed the class for lunch the crystal ball turned off causing all the jonin in the room to focus on their wise leader. "Each of you has your assignments, meet with your team in an hour," he ordered calmly. "You're dismissed except for Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai," he stated to which the jonin hastily left the room. Soon only four visible people remained in the room.

The elderly Hokage reached into one of his drawers and pulled out his wooden pipe and filled it with some tobacco before placing it in his mouth. He raised his hand above the tobacco and with a quick Katon manipulation, he lit the pipe and took a deep breath. Taking the pipe out of his mouth, he released a large puff of smoke towards the four patiently waiting jonin. "I've granted each of your requests, so I expect you to perform your jobs to the best of your abilities. Are you each satisfied?" he asked putting the pipe in his mouth before leaning back in his chair.

Kurenai stepped forward first sending a grateful smile towards her superior. "Of course, Hokage-sama. Hinata, Kiba, and Shino will make a great tracking team in the future. I also hope to bring Hinata out of her shell by giving her a strong female role model," she explained honestly. It has been her goal to take Hinata under her wing since she sees her as her own daughter.

When she stepped back in place, Asuma stepped forward with a more serious expression. "I am as well. The next generation Ino–Shika–Chō formation is already bound to be legendary. I believe with my tutelage, they will be even greater than their parents," he boasted making a bold claim. The original Ino–Shika–Chō formation is legendary with stories still told of their feats passed along shinobis today. For anyone to pass them would be a grand achievement.

Kakashi feeling the eyes of the Hokage and the two other jonin sighed and stepped forward. "I'm content with my team," he said shortly getting back in line before reaching into his pocket and fishing out a small orange book. Even with his face hidden behind the book, he and everyone else in the room noticed Kurenai's hand clench into a fist of pure feminine rage before calming herself.

Hiruzen took the pipe out of his mouth and breathed out another large puff of smoke. "Good, I look forward to seeing your progress," he commented with a grandfatherly smile. "You're each dismissed," he said putting the pipe back in his mouth. Asuma and Kurenai causally left the room leaving behind a silver-haired jonin whose face is still buried in his book. The elderly man sighed and removed the pipe, "Yes, Kakashi?"

The one-eyed jonin closed his book and put it back in his pocket. "He would have graduated this year, you know? I would have requested to be the jonin sensei for his team," he stated sadly, slowly regressing into his depressed state. He hoped that if his sensei's son is alive, that he is at least happy wherever he is.

The Sandaime Hokage let out a tired sigh and gave Kakashi a sad smile. "I know Kakashi, but all we can do is hope that he's safe out there and might one day return," he informed the depressed jonin. The situation had been difficult, to say the least. He sent out multiple teams that scoured every inch of Hi no Kuni but couldn't find a trace of the blond. The search continued for over a month before he had to cut his losses. Kakashi had not been happy with that bit of info.

The next problem happened after he recalled Jiraiya back to the village. As anyone could have expected, the following conversation was rather… volatile. Turns out telling the man that his godson had been beaten, kidnapped, and tossed into the woods left for dead somewhere in the country had upset him. Some villagers still had nightmares when they felt the explosion of killing intent.

* _Flashback_ *

A thick overcast plagued Konoha only letting in the bare minimum of sunlight. The wind shot through the streets quickly kicking up dust clouds and small items not nailed down. From the weather, most guessed a terrible storm is approaching. If only they knew.

Hiruzen sat in his office behind his desk signing paperwork which seemed to multiply every time the elderly man blinked. If he didn't know any better, he would almost say the demon paper knew some sort of cloning jutsu. After finishing signing his name and stamping a paper he flexed his hand while leaning back in his chair. It wouldn't be good to cramp when he still has hundreds of papers to fill out. ' _Mark my words, one day, one day I will discover your weakness…_ ' he thought evilly, cackling madly in his head.

"Hey sensei," a friendly familiar voice called out from behind the kage. Hiruzen quickly turned his chair and spotted a tall, well-built man sitting on his window sill. "What's going on? Your message sounded urgent, so I rushed back as quickly as I could," the man asked seriously, curious about what could have happened.

The Sandaime Hokage gulped nervously; he has been dreading this scheduled conversation since the moment he recalled Jiraiya back to the village. He didn't know how the man would react to the news, but silently prayed he would be able to control himself. "There's been an incident," he stated going into Hokage mode, calming himself down.

That comment caused Jiraiya to narrow his eyes and stand up. He walked in front of the Hokage's desk making sure to give him his undivided attention. He absently noted the slight sprinkle that started to pour from the heavens.

Jiraiya, the Gallant Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku is forty-two years old towering at 6'2". He's fair-skinned with narrow black eyes that held wisdom like the Sandaime Hokage, and waist-length, spiky white hair in a ponytail with two shoulder-length bangs framing his face. Underneath both of his eyes is a vertical red line that extends completely down his face. He wears a full mesh armor suit under a short green kimono shirt with a dark-grey sash tied around his waist and matching green pants only being visible at his wrists and ankles. Overtop his kimono he wears a silk red haori with two yellow circles on each side of his chest. He also wears green handguards and traditional red Japanese styled wooden sandals. On his back is a large scroll and tied around his head is a unique hitai-ate with the kanji for "oil" which showed his affiliation with the legendary toad clan.

Jiraiya's eyes stayed narrowed as he stared at his superior, his posture straightening professionally. "What incident, what happened?" he questioned seriously, curious on what could have happened. If the Hokage deemed in necessary to recall him back to the village, it most likely meant a large threat of some sort. He hoped another war didn't start without him noticing. That would be embarrassing since he's Konoha's, Spy Master.

The sound of rain hitting the window reverberated throughout the office as the two powerful shinobi stared at each other. The old man knew that there is no point in sugar coating what he has to say since Konoha's Spy Master would figure it out for himself easily enough. With a heavy sigh, "Naruto is gone," he said shortly watching his student carefully. As expected, his student's eyes widened dramatically before narrowing dangerously.

The toad sage had expected many things, but that was not one. He expected Konoha's War Hawk to be acting up again, or the civilian counsel doing something stupid. Hearing that his godson is apparently gone, did not make the list. "What do you mean gone?" he asked, his voice gaining a dangerous edge.

Hiruzen folded his hands together and leaned on his desk before sighing tiredly. He began telling his student everything that transpired. Starting with Naruto being kicked out of the orphanage which led to him living in one of Konoha's parks. Being attacked and knocked out before being dragged out Konoha against his will. To being left for dead somewhere in Hi no Kuni and his month-long search.

When he finally finished telling the sage every detail he knew about the man's missing godson, he saw Jiraiya clenching his fist hard enough to bleed. Thunder boomed in the distance, and as if a dam broke, Jiraiya released killing intent strong enough to force villagers to the ground from the pressure while witnessing their own deaths. "Jiraiya, calm down!" Hiruzen shouted trying to get his student to stop releasing his killing intent. He's positive that everyone in the village felt that.

Jiraiya sent his sensei a fierce glare, "Calm down! My godson is gods knows where probably dead or dying because of this village's incompetence, and you want me to calm down!? He shouted angrily. However, the stern look Hiruzen was sending him made him relent and reel back in his killing intent. Sadly, for the villagers, the damage had already been done. He stormed back over to the window and prepared to leap out.

Hiruzen blinked at the sudden movement, "Where are you going?" he asked curiously, praying he didn't plan on harming any of the villagers. The idea of a rampaging Jiraiya was a scary thought, and not one he was confident his shinobi could subdue.

Jiraiya turned his head slightly just as lightning lit up the sky lighting up the sage's wet face. The elderly man could see his student's eyes brimming with anger. "Going to find my godson," he said simply, leaping out of the window before the Hokage could respond.

It would be many years before Jiraiya would step foot inside Konoha. He would only send updates via toad summons while digging up any information on the missing blonde boy. After all, the Kyūbi jinchūriki couldn't simply just vanish completely. The toad sage had still yet to find any clues on the whereabouts of the missing child.

* _Flashback End_ *

Hiruzen let his eyes wander to a random wall before glancing back at the depressed silver-haired jonin. "Do not let the past interfere with the now. What happened is not your fault and never will be. Take these three genin and nurture them; help them grow into splendid shinobi," he said in a wise voice while giving the one-eyed jonin a grandfatherly smile. His eyes gained a playful glint, "…and do try not to be too late Kakashi," he commented playfully releasing a hearty chuckle.

Kakashi sends the elderly man a silent thank you before giving him an unnatural eye-smile. "Hokage-sama, I clearly have no idea what you're talking about," his voice so innocent that even the hidden ANBU in the room almost believed him. Bowing towards the Hokage, he vanished in a swirl of leaves to visit the memorial stone.

The elderly man gained a small smile before leaning back in his chair. He placed his pipe back in mouth and took another deep breath before letting out a large puff of smoke. The room stayed in silence for a few moments before he spoke up, "So, Jiraiya, what brings you here today?" he asked out loud to seemingly no one.

Like magic, the wall Hiruzen had previously glanced at shimmered before revealing one of the legendary sannin in all his glory. The ANBU hidden in the room each cursed themselves for failing to detect him, again. Nothing had changed with the man in the last eight years other then him becoming slightly more serious. "Just bringing in some intel and checking out this year's batch of graduates," he replied in an easy-going tone. "Haven't had a class with this many clan heirs in a long time," he whistled.

Hiruzen nodded his head in agreement, equally surprised each clan head managed to have kids around the same time. He hoped that each of their sensei could get them to a high enough level to participate in the upcoming chūnin exams. "Indeed, the future of Konoha is looking bright as ever," he replied with a hint of pride. He locked eyes with his student, "However, we both know you wouldn't have come back unless whatever you have to share is important," he replied in a knowing tone getting a serious nod in return. While he knew his student would never forsake his home, he would most likely never forgive them entirely either.

Walking in front of the desk, he started to speak, "I discovered a group comprised of S-rank criminals going by the name of Akatsuki," he stated in a serious manner forcing Hiruzen to straighten up at the implications. "There endgame is unknown, but they plan on gathering all the jinchūrikis in the near future," his tone grave getting a look of understanding from the wise Sarutobi.

"You're worried about Naruto," he stated instead of questioning already knowing the answer. If this group is truly after all the jinchūrikis, then Naruto would be targeted eventually. His student would never allow that to happen.

The Gamma Sannin sent his sensei a sad smile, "I'm always worried sensei. I can't help but think to myself, what if I had just taken him with me? What if I had just simply taken the time to visit him occasionally instead of wallowing in my own depression?" he began voicing his thoughts. "Now I have no clue where he is. If he's even alive or not," he said showing his age as his past guilt slowly swallowed him whole.

"You shouldn't ask yourself what if this or that; it won't change the past. All you can do is look towards the future and use what you've learned to help better it," Hiruzen said in a soothing voice. "Konoha needed you out there to help protect us from hidden threats, you were doing your job as a Konoha shinobi," the professor stated clearly. The truth of the matter is that Jiraiya has protected Konoha with the information he gathered around the Elemental Nations.

The white-haired man looked down towards the ground, "I know sensei, I just wish it would have turned out differently," he commented sadly.

"Do you want my opinion?" Hiruzen asked causing Jiraiya to look back up and meet his eyes. Receiving a nod, he continued, "I believe the boy is alive and well. You know as well as I do, he's their kid after all," he commented cryptically bringing a smile to the toad sage's face.

A soft hearty chuckle escaped the sage's lips. "Yeah, if he's anything like his mother, he'll be far too stubborn for his own good," he said in remembrance of the red-haired beauty with a horrible stubbornness and fierce attitude. "…and with his father's intelligence, I fear what those two created," he commented thinking of the spiky blond-haired Hokage. Snapping out of his memories, he began telling the older man everything he knew about the dangerous group.

=Konohagakure no Sato: The Academy – Three Hours After Lunch=

Arisu's eye twitched in irritation. Three hours; three long annoying hours of waiting and listening to Sakura ramble. She arrived back at class at her allotted time and waited in class for her sensei like everyone else. Soon after Iruka arrived followed by a line of jonin who called out their team and left accordingly.

Soon enough, only her, Sakura, Sasuke, and Iruka remained in the classroom. Iruka waited for an hour before checking who their sensei was again and then looked at them apologetically. She narrowed her eyes at that, but before she could question him he wished them luck and left.

For the next two hours, she dealt with Sakura flirting with the dark-haired boy who only grunted occasionally. For some reason, she would ask for a date and when she didn't get an answer, she would begin flirting again. The process continued to repeat over and over. It's due to this that she found herself thinking, ' _What did I do to deserve this?_ '

The classroom door slid open and all three genin looked over spotting a silver-haired man. "Hm, how should I say this. My first impression of you three; you're boring," he stated in a cheerful tone causing all three genin to look at him in shock. "Meet me on the roof in five minutes and don't be late," he ordered with an eye-smile before exploding into a thick cloud of smoke.

The three genin stared dumbfoundedly at the spot where their sensei once stood. Arisu blinked a few times before snapping out of her shock and jumping to her feet. She ran down the steps and out the door leaving behind her two confused teammates. The other two genin seeing their teammate fly out of the room managed to snap them out of their own shock before running out the door themselves.

Kakashi stood on the roof leaning up against the railing watching the door waiting for the genin to burst through. He looked up at the sky before he heard the door slam open and spotted Arisu come out. She glanced towards him and narrowed her golden eyes that shined with irritation. ' _I wonder why she's upset with me,_ ' he thought curiously before his two other genin ran out with a huff.

He sent them all a good-willed eye-smile that shouldn't be physically possible. "Good, you three made it on time," he commented getting a twitch from the auburn-haired girl. He waved his hand towards the steps in front of him, "Take a seat so we can begin," he ordered which the three did.

The three genin got situated on the steps with Sasuke sitting on the left side from Kakashi's perspective with Sakura sitting only a person's width from him. Arisu, on the other hand, sat a comfortable distance away from her fellow genin while staring at him. "Alright, now how about you three introduce yourselves?" he suggested in a tone that told them it wasn't a suggestion.

Sakura raised her hand getting an amused look from their sensei, "What do you mean sensei?" she asked which quickly turned the amused look to a blank one.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, "I mean your name, what you like and dislike, your hobbies and dreams for the future. That type of stuff," he replied.

"Can you give us an example sensei, so we know how to do it?" she asked kindly causing the jonin to wonder about the kunoichi of the year. Arisu on the other hand just stared at her like an idiot.

The one-eyed jonin sighed in resignation. "My name is Kakashi Hatake, I don't feel like tell you my likes or dislikes. I have many hobbies and my dreams for the future? I never really thought about it," he answered with one of his famous eye-smiles getting flabbergasted looks from this three genin. ' _You still got it Kakashi, you still got it,_ ' he thought victoriously.

' _He only told us his name…_ ' the three genin thought unknowingly together.

Deciding he has enough time relishing the faces of his genin, he started to speak again. "Now that I've introduced myself, how about you go next Pinky," he suggested causing the pink-haired girl to gain a tick mark on her unnaturally large forehead. Let it be known that Kakashi is a master of irritating people.

Sakura calming herself down from her new nickname gained a smile. "My name is Sakura Haruno, I like," she looked towards Sasuke and started giggling. "My hobbies are," she continued to look at the dark-haired boy and blushed. "My dreams for the future are," she squealed looking at Sasuke intently who decided to scoot further away from the obsessed girl.

Kakashi stared at the pink-haired girl trying to decide if she is serious or not, and after a minute of staring, he concluded that she is indeed serious. ' _Fantastic, I got a fangirl of the highest caliber…_ ' he thought tiredly before asking, "…and your dislikes?"

The pink-haired girl blinked a few times before looking away from her love interest. "Ino-pig!" she shouted out.

The silver-haired man looked over to the clearly uncomfortable looking boy, "Alright, you next Broody," he said motioning at Sasuke who gave no visible response. If anything, the boy seemed to reign himself in.

Sasuke looked down towards the ground letting his hair shadow his eyes dramatically. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like many things, and I dislike even more. My hobby is training, and my dream, no ambition is reviving my clan and to kill a certain man," he said darkly when an out of place breeze flew through the area around them.

Kakashi stared at the young avenger seriously already expecting his goals. He knew the man he wanted to kill is his older brother, Itachi Uchiha for slaughtering his entire family. The boy is a flight risk, but if he stays loyal to Konoha, they would in return help him achieve his goals. After all, reviving the founding clan would greatly boost Konoha's military power. He glanced over to the remaining genin and silently prayed for a serious kunoichi. "Your turn Brownie," he said idly while motioning towards Arisu.

Arisu straightened up and rested her hand on her palm. "My name is Arisu Miu, I like reading, training, a certain animal, and cookies. I dislike fangirls, arrogance, and tomatoes. My hobbies are gardening and cooking. My dream is to become the strongest shinobi in the world," she answered boredly ignoring the sour look both of her teammates shot her.

The reasons her two teammates shot her sours looks are vastly different. Sakura knew that Arisu disliked her because she got more attention from Sasuke. Somehow the idea that someone wasn't interested in Sasuke never crossed her mind. The dark-haired avenger found himself shocked that any person alive could dislike tomatoes. He couldn't even comprehend the idea itself, and that day, he created a third goal. He would teach her the one true way after avenging his clan.

Kakashi silently thanked Kami while humming lightly. ' _Good, I've got at least one normal one out of the three!_ ' he thought happily at receiving the rare serious kunoichi. He didn't know what he would have done if he got stuck with two fangirls. He probably would have just taken Sasuke as an apprentice and suggested they both be dropped from the program entirely.

He shook his head and clapped both his hands together gathering everyone's attention. "Alright, you three are unique and have your own goals. But, you're not genin yet," he said seriously getting two of the three possible genin to widen their eyes in alarm. He idly took note that Arisu didn't look fazed suggesting she already knew about the test.

Sakura in complete shock decided to speak up. "What do you mean Kakashi-sensei? We passed the genin exams!" she bellowed out. She dreaded the idea of possibly being separated from her true love.

The one-eyed jonin nodded his head in agreement. "While it's true you passed the graduation exam, that test is only to weed out the weak. My test will determine if you have what it truly takes to be a Konoha shinobi," he said with a tone of foreboding. ' _However, I'm starting to think the graduation test may have been too easy…_ ' he absently thought staring at the fangirl.

"What test sensei?" Sakura asked worriedly.

Normally the man would have dragged this part out to add to the suspense but decided against it. "A survival test," he answered simply.

Sakura tilted her head in confusion, "A survival test? We did plenty of those in the academy…" she stated out loud. She never liked doing those always preferring written tests.

Kakashi nodded his head once more. "Correct, however, my test will be nothing like the academy. You see, this test has a sixty-six percent failure rate. If you fail, you'll be sent back to the academy to repeat to year," he replied, this time managing to shock all three genin at the low pass rates.

"You three will meet me at training ground seven at dawn and I suggest not eating breakfast or you'll puke," he ordered standing up straight. He gave them all a two-finger salute and chirped, "Ja ne!" before vanishing in a swirl of leaves leaving behind three shocked genin again. What they didn't know is he stayed near them concealing his presence to spy on them.

Sasuke abruptly stood up and glared at his two teammates. "Make sure to stay out of my way," he demanded before walking away. Sakura looked at him in shock before jumping to her feet and following him like a lost puppy. Arisu ignored him completely lost in her own thoughts.

Both genin vanished leaving behind the auburn-haired preteen and the hidden jonin. ' _I knew there was another test given by our sensei, but to have such a high failure rate…_ ' she thought worriedly. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked around not seeing her teammates anywhere. Her poppy golden eyes locked onto where her sensei stood and thought about his introduction. ' _Time for me to do some research on this test and our mysterious sensei,_ ' she mused turning around and casually leaving the academy roof.

When the three genin were out of sight, Kakashi reappeared in his original spot. ' _Sasuke won't work with either of them. Sakura will most likely only listen to Sasuke and ignore Arisu, and Arisu… I'm not entirely sure with her yet,_ ' he mused looking up at the endless blue sky. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his orange book and started reading giving out a perverted giggle. He would worry about that tomorrow.

=Konohagakure no Sato: Hokage's Office – The Next Day=

Like yesterday, all the jonin assigned a genin team met up in the Hokage's office. After passing or failing their team, they needed to report their results. This also gave them an opportunity to suggest if they are dropped completely or be placed in the reserves. Some people just aren't meant to become shinobi.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair and looked at each jonin. "We'll start with Team One and make our way to the last," he ordered getting nods from each jonin. He didn't expect many teams to pass, but there's always a chance.

A brown-haired jonin stepped forward first. "Team One failed miserably. They were given a simple task and ended up turning on each other. I recommend having them dropped from the program for their own and other's safety," he commented not even trying to mask his anger towards his team.

"Noted."

A dirty-blonde-haired jonin stepped forward next. "Team Two failed. Not only did they complain through their entire test, one of them had the gal to leave during it," he said, and the others heard the disappointment in his voice. Though most were shocked that a genin left during the test.

A black-haired jonin stepped forward. "Team Three failed. They do not meet the requirements to be a shinobi yet. Another year in the academy will do them some good," she commented simply. Her team just didn't have the skill level to be competent genin.

"Team Four passed," a grey-haired jonin said stepping forward. "They understand the values of teamwork and have a good foundation to work off of," the elderly man stated getting a nod from the Hokage. It helped that his team are all children of shinobi instead of merchants and civilians.

A dark-brown-haired jonin stepped forward next. "Team Five failed. However, I recommend putting Inari in the reserves. He attempted to work with his teammates and have a good understanding of being a shinobi," she suggested receiving a nod from the elderly leader. She watched him write the boy's name down on a piece of paper and put it to the side.

"Team Six failed completely," a green-eyed jonin voiced out. "I'll be honest with you Hokage-sama, I've never seen such terrible excuses for shinobi in all of my career. It's as if they never trained outside the mandatory. I recommend removing them from the program completely," he said honestly.

"Noted," Hiruzen stated and waited for the next person to step forward. A light bulb went off in his head and he looked around for the silver-haired jonin and didn't spot him anywhere. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, he should have expected this. "Since Kakashi isn't here yet, we'll move on," the elderly Hokage stated motioning towards Kurenai.

Kurenai stepped forward garnishing the attention of each jonin. Each of them excited to hear about the clan heirs. "Team Eight passed," she said happily with a small smile. That didn't shock anyone as they expected each of the teams stacked with clan heirs to pass. "There test was to locate me using their tracking skills. It took them thirty-three minutes to find my location and see through my genjutsu," she said proudly before stepping back in line.

Asuma stepped forward next getting all eyes on him like Kurenai. "Team Ten passed," he stated simply scratching his chin. "I ran them through some simple and complex drills and situations. They worked together almost flawlessly, but I'll have my hands full with Ino Yamanaka," he said tiredly remembering the girl's constant complaining. He would have to talk to her father about her attitude.

Just as he finished speaking, Kakashi appeared in a swirl of leaves in front of everyone with his face glued inside a small orange book. The few kunoichi present in the room leaked killing intent at the sight of the book, but the silver-haired man just shrugged it off. He lowered the book and gave everyone an eye-smile.

"Sorry, I'm late. You see, I was walking over here and somehow found myself near Kumo. I realized that I wasn't anywhere near Konoha, so I quickly turned away only to be confronted by a giant talking turtle who challenged me to a game of riddles. After solving the legendary riddle, he granted me passage here," he said cheerfully causing everyone in the room to fall face first onto the ground at the ridiculous excuse.

The Sandaime Hokage recovered quickly and chuckled lightly at the terrible excuse. "Sounds like quite the experience Kakashi, I'm glad you made it back safely," he humored the jonin who gave him an eye-smile in return. "Now if you could give us your report," he told the silver-haired jonin.

"Of course, Team Seven…" he drawled out making everyone lean in at the suspense, "Passed." He finished shocking everyone in the room since they expected the team to fail. Never has Kakashi passed a team. "I gave them the bell test, and they managed to figure it out," he said simply not going into detail. He covered his face with his book again and started giggling softly.

Hiruzen sighed at the jonin's antics, "Thank you, everyone, for giving me your report. Your suggestions have been noted. Everyone is dismissed except for Asuma, Jin, Kakashi, and Kurenai," he ordered, and his shinobi quickly complied. A few moments later and the room only held the jonin who passed a team.

The four jonin stood in a semi-circle in front of the Hokage's desk. The elderly kage leaned his elbows on his desk and folded his hands together looking at this shinobi. "Give me a report on your genin's skill level, and how they performed," he said in an authoritative voice. Three of these four teams are almost filled with clan heirs; it demanded attention.

Jin nodded his head and spoke up, "Takara is low-genin, possibly mid-genin. She's relatively polite and has a good head on her shoulders. Juro is low-genin and slightly bull-headed but works well with others. Isao is a solid mid-genin, and is slightly arrogant," he responded coolly, proud of the team he received.

The Hokage met Jin's olive green eyes, "Do you believe your team will be prepared for the upcoming chūnin exams?" he asked curiously. The more teams Konoha could fill, the greater the odds of them making it to the finals to help showcase Konoha's strength. It's the reason he needed the clan heirs to participate.

Jin ran his hand through his short grey-hair and closed his eyes while humming softly. "Possibly, but I will most likely have them work a full year or two for experience before recommending them for the exams," he stated thoughtfully. This is his first time being a jonin sensei, and he would rather have them over prepared then send them in underprepared.

The Hokage nodded his head in acceptance and motioned for someone else to continue. The Genjutsu Mistress spoke up next, "Hinata is mid-genin but is to shy for actual combat now. With time, I hope to break her out of her shell. Kiba is mid-genin and is brash but has a firm understanding of his clan's specialty and has their pack mentality. Shino is mid-genin as well but is so silent it comes off borderline rude. However, he can think clearly and rationally and work with others," she answered honestly.

Asuma spoke up next, "Shikamaru is low-genin with ANBU level intelligence. He's lazy, probably lazier than his father, but he'll be greater than him. Chōji is mid-genin with a basic grasp of his clans' style and has a kind heart. If I can get him to focus on other things besides food, he'll become powerful. Ino is low-genin, she's loud, bossy, and a mild fangirl. It'll take time, but I'll break her out of it and hopefully get them working together," he said with a little disappointment. This generations Ino-Shika-Chō formation is going to take a lot of work, but he has hope that they will be as legendary as their parents.

Kakashi closed his book audibly and slid it into his pocket. "Sasuke is high-genin with high reserves for his age; it's understandable how he earned Rooke of the Year. However, he's got a strong superiority and inferiority complex," he stated getting nods of understanding from everyone in the room who already knew about the Uchiha.

He sighed tiredly thinking of his next student. "Sakura is low-genin and probably the worst fangirl I've ever seen. How she snagged Kunoichi of the Year astounds me. Her reserves are pitiful, and she fainted after putting her in one of my weakest genjutsu," he commented in complete disappointment getting looks of pity from his peers.

His demeanor changed when he thought of his last student, the one he has the highest hopes for. "Arisu is high-genin on par with Sasuke. She has good reserves for her age, and a good head on her shoulders. She'll move up the ranks quickly," he informed the group getting looks of jealousy for receiving a gem. He then chuckled, "You know, in a way I have the traditional team. Sasuke as Rookie of the Year, Arisu as Kunoichi of the Year, and Sakura as the dead last," he mused out loud getting a few chuckles in return.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face. There are a few snags in the teams, but with proper guidance, they could grow quickly. "I want you four to train them to the best of your abilities. Most of you will have a lot of pressure put on your shoulders due to your student's status," he warned the jonin who gave him a serious nod in return. "Good, you're each dismissed," he said waving them away.

=Konohagakure no Sato: Team Seven – Six Months Later=

Arisu moved quickly through the trees to get into position. Her team's current target was last spotted moving throughout the eastern section of Konoha in the forested area. They've been hunting the target for just over an hour and finally located her.

Arisu's radio buzzed in her ear and Sakura's voice came through. "Pinky in position," she whispered out using her codename. Arisu jumped through another tree and got into position. Before she could radio in, "Broody in position," Sasuke grumbled. Raising her hand to her ear, she pressed the talk button, "Brownie in position," she stated eyeing her target.

Kakashi's voice buzzed in next, "Silver in position, is the target in sight?" he commented treating this mission as seriously as possible. This is truly one of the more difficult and time-consuming missions. To Konoha, it became an achievement to capture the target as quickly as possible. His team when he was a genin still held the fastest time.

The auburn-haired girl watched the target roll over on her stomach while bathing in the sun. "Target in sight, permission to engage?" she asked seriously watching for any sudden movement that the target knew they were there or not. A large part of her believed that target knew exactly where they were.

A few moments of silence, then, "Move in carefully and subdue the target," Kakashi ordered. Hearing the okay, Team Seven converged on the target quickly, but carefully. Luckily, the cat never suspected a thing.

=Konohagakure no Sato: Hokage's Office=

Team Seven looked on in hidden amusement as the demon cat struggled against its fleshy chains. The daimyō's wife hugged the hissing cat lovingly and turned around walking out of the office. ' _Serves it right,_ ' Sakura thought darkly, her face covered in multiple tiny red scratch marks. If she ever found that cat again, it might find itself shaved down.

The Hokage looked over the three genin who enjoyed the cat's suffering. It reminded him of a different time when he was teaching three genin himself. He remembered his genin smiling darkly as the cat suffered in the hands of the daimyō's wife. However, to this day, he didn't understand how the cat managed to live this long. ' _Maybe that cat is immortal?_ ' he wondered idly.

He snapped his head out of his memories. "Congratulations Team Seven on another successful D-rank," he said gathering the attention of the three genin, and the jonin whose face is in a book he wished he could be reading. "Now, we've got painting fences, babysitting, or," he paused when he heard something break then a shout of Tora, "Capturing Tora again," he chuckled in amusement at the horrified expression on the genin's faces.

Arisu not willing to take the chance on another Tora mission decided to speak up. "Excuse me Hokage-sama, would it be okay if we received a C-rank?" she asked respectively, but to the well-trained ears of the shinobi, they clearly heard the pleading of her voice. Every shinobi understood the pain of doing D-ranks, but it taught teamwork and gave experience.

Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully and glanced at the silver-haired jonin who continued to giggle perversely. "Kakashi, do you believe your team is ready for a C-rank?" he asked curiously. They had already completed the mandatory amount of D-rank missions, they just needed the jonin's approval.

Kakashi lowered his book showing his visible eye registering the question. He glanced down at his hopeful, pleading genin and decided if he wanted to torture or reward his genin. He weighed the cons and pros of both before deciding. "I believe they are ready Hokage-sama," he answered honestly deciding to reward his genin for their work. He closed his book and slipped it into his pocket.

"I see," Hiruzen replied before digging out a scroll from under the mountain of paperwork on his desk. He found the scroll and unrolled it reading over the request before sealing it back up. "You three will be escorting a bridge builder back to Nami no Kuni," he commented tossing the scroll over to Kakashi. He looked over to Iruka who is helping him with his paperwork, "Iruka, could you call in Tazuna?" he asked politely.

Iruka looked up from his paperwork, "Right away," he complied getting up and leaving the room. A minute later he came back in with an older gentleman who smelled of booze. He's a darker-skinned man standing around 5'8". He has short grey hair and a large beard connected to his mustache. He wears a black sleeveless shirt with a dark-grey obi tied around his waist, matching black pants, and grey sandals. He also wears glasses and a white towel around his neck.

"This is the team I paid for? They don't look like much, especially the short one," he rudely commented before taking a swig of his sake. Perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea to insult the people meant to protect you, but a drunk man never claimed to be the smartest.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the rude drunk before looking over at Sasuke then Arisu who were each staring at her. The gears in her head clicked and she realized that she is the short one. Her temper rose and eye twitched violently as she clenched her hand tightly into a fist ready to brawl. Thankfully, her sensei held her back from attacking their contractor. "I assure you, my team is more than qualified to deal with some lowly bandits. If that doesn't satisfy you, then I'm sure I'll be able to protect you," he said with an eye smile.

Tazuna looked over the man for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "Whatever, I'm Tazuna the master bridge builder. I expect you to protect me with your life," he stated blandly before taking another large swig of alcohol. He quickly turned around and walked out of the room leaving behind his escort.

Kakashi looked down at his three genin who looked slightly miffed at their complete dismissal. "Pack for a two-week mission and meet at the east gate in an hour," he ordered. His team quickly nodded their head and left the room. He turned towards the Hokage and gave him a short bow before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

A/N - My plan actually changed drastically this chapter. I originally planned to introduce Danzo and Sai, but after thinking it over, went against it. I feel my OC will be more entertaining, and I really don't want to write in Danzo yet. In any case, I hope I managed to satisfy you all with this Konoha exclusive chapter.

What do you all think of Arisu Miu?

Did you all enjoy the team placement part?

What are your thoughts on Kakashi?

What did you all think of Jiraiya's actions?! I really, really liked what I did with it! It felt so dramatic with the storm!

Konoha now knows about the Akatsuki's existence!

Kakashi is a troll, and I love it!

I passed an extra team and one other student! Why? Because I find it strange that only three teams would pass. Sure they are filled to the brim with clan heirs, but there has to be some decent shinobi sprinkled in there. That's my only reasoning behind it!

The legendary Tora mission!

Now we know who's going on the wave mission, interesting...

Thank you for reading chapter seven of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you enjoyed it and decide to come back for chapter eight! With Team Seven and our group of kitsunes heading towards Nami, what will happen? Will they meet up? What happened to Akitsu? What will Kakashi be like if he sees Naruto?!

If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N - Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter of Kitsune Sanctuary! I've come to the conclusion, I'm just a natural slow writer! Even when inspired, I can't help but take my time writing. I wrote this chapter three times before settling on this current version. However, do not fear! I have written out the entirety of the wave arc. Now I'm just very slowly piecing it together. I would expect the next chapter quickly because of this.

Please leave your feedback, positive, negative or both! Seriously, tell me what you think.

PS: There is a high probability of extreme violence in this chapter.

=Reviews=

 **Frankieu** \- Thank you for reading!

 **Buterflypuss** \- Thank you for your honest input and I did end up changing some bits of the last chapter. I'd also like to apologize to everyone about the large information dump last chapter. I don't plan on having another one of those.

 **Doomqwer** \- That was the plan with that chapter. I wanted people to see Konoha and get an idea of who would be appearing in the future.

 **Theriku260** \- *Throws chapter in face* Read it!

 **KakeruPB** \- Such is the fate of an OC being shoved in between original characters. I hinted that both her parents were shinobi and the life expectancy in the career field is very low. I believe you can put the pieces together yourself. There is a great chance that she could get along well with Naruto's little gang.

 **Kaizon-chan** \- Glad you appreciated it. *hug*

 **StallionWolf** \- I'm glad you like her. You'll see more of her in the future where I'll expand on her.

 **TigrezzTail** \- I originally planned on showing the bell test but eventually went against it. You'll see more of her in the future. I'm glad you loved the part with Jiraiya as that is one of my favorite parts in this story so far. I wanted it to be cinematic. I hope everyone was able to actually see the scene as I could.

 **Zero Fullbuster** \- Awesomesauce!

 **Nero** \- Sorry about that! Your opinion matters to me and thanks for sharing with me. I don't plan on abandoning it, I'm just slow!

 **Asta** \- I have not forgotten about that. It's complicated for a reason and will be explained eventually. You'll find there is usually a reason I mention something in my story.

 **ThraintarIronshield** \- Glad you like her!

 **Ryojin** \- Well, I'm glad you're excited! *chuckles nervously...*

 **Fanreader26** \- I hope plenty of people are.

 **Guests** \- Yes, as far as the world is concerned, Naruto is defenseless. Thank you and I plan on it.

Please enjoy the story, everyone!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

* * *

=Nami no Kuni: Unknown=

Somewhere in Nami no Kuni, a young girl is chained up against a cold stone wall locked away in the dark. Around each of her wrists are two iron cuffs pinning her to the wall while just holding her high enough that she couldn't sit but limply lean against the wall. She's stretched out with her heels against the cold floor.

Akitsu Mana's eye stared into the darkness impassively while the other is swollen shut with trails of dried blood coming from a scabbed gash above her right eyebrow. Her body is covered in multiple bruises and cuts, some that are still freshly bleeding from her captor's recent fun. The clothes she was taken in are torn in multiple places and covered in a mix of her own and others dried blood. She contemplated her current situation and how she ended up here.

Her mission was relatively simple for a member of her clan. She was to infiltrate Nami no Kuni as a traveler and blend into the background to gather intelligence. Her objective was to learn what was interfering with the trade routes and discover if the rumor of a takeover were true.

She set out the next day after being assigned the mission and dressed in simple but flexible clothes that wouldn't be unusual for a civilian traveler. She spent time traveling the roads at a normal pace blending in perfectly before crossing the gap between lands into Nami. Once she successfully infiltrated the country, she immediately began scouting the entire island.

It didn't take her long to complete her objective when she discovered the state that the village located on the island is in. She overheard how men are being senselessly killed, women and children are being taken and sold off into slavery. Then she heard the name Gato and flashes of the man's actions resonated in her mind. She wasted no time in sending a message to relay this information to Sanctuary.

From that point onwards, she continued to blend in and gather information. Everything had been going exactly as she expected until one morning. She had been simply strolling through the streets ignoring the starving humans begging for any scraps they could get their hands on when three of Gato's hired thugs took interest in her. To this day, she still didn't fully understand why they took interest in her at all.

Like most of her clan, she's petite with soft violet eyes and beautiful red hair. Her body is small but well-honed for stealth. If you didn't know her, or of her family name, you would most likely assume her to be a child. Which begs the question, why did those men take any interest in her?

The three rough looking men that she garnished the attention of walked up and surrounded her on all sides. Each of them looking at her with lustful eyes and hungry smiles. She could still remember some of their lines, "Hey little girl, are you lost?" Her feet shifted ever so slightly when the one standing on her left side spoke up, "Why don't you come with us, we'll keep you nice and safe," he said suggestively licking his lips before grabbing onto her shoulder.

Scum, that's the only word that could describe the men that had surrounded her. Normally she would have just slit their throat and left them to bleed out slowly before their bodies eventually started to rot and nourish the environment. However, her role was to play a young female traveler; killing three men in the middle of a street with civilians watching would most likely attract unwanted attention. Her options were limited, and she had no desire to let those scum touch her. So, she did what any young female traveler would do in this situation. She shook off the man's grubby hand and took off in a sprint into the surrounding woods.

The villagers would believe she ran off fearfully into the woods hoping to lose her pursuers. No, she had no interest in losing this scum, no, not in the slightest. She wanted them to follow her deep into the woods away from the unexpecting villagers. She made sure to keep just enough room to make it look like they were slowly but surely gaining on her. She could still remember turning her head to the side and seeing them chasing her and laughing wickedly. Perfect. She continued to duck under the branches, jump over the large roots while heading towards a very specific area.

She could still smell the scent of the ocean when she arrived at her destination. She jumped out of the tree line into an opening where a ledge met the ocean. The sound of the rapid water crashing against the jagged cliffside reverberated throughout the air. She stepped closer to the edge and peered down before turning around to meet her three eagerly stalking pursuers.

"You didn't think you could escape, did you?" one asked sinisterly.

"Don't be scared, we just want to have a little fun is all," one said lustfully, his eyes trailing her body.

"There's nowhere to run, I promise we won't hurt you… too much," the last one said slyly.

Perhaps they had expected her to gain a fearful look and beg them to let her go. She didn't give them a fearful look, instead, they received a blank expression as her eyes calculated the easiest and most efficient way to kill them. Would she charge at them? No, that would give them to much time to react. No, she would do this quickly and correctly.

She crouched onto the ground and covered her face giving the appearance of a scared girl who had given up and accepted her fate. The scum watched their prey curl up and casually approached her from all sides. Each footstep growing closer until they were standing close enough that she could smell their foul breath. That was their final mistake.

Her nails slowly extended, sharpening into deadly knives. Violet eyes snapped open and time slowed down for her and like lightning, she struck quickly. She launched up quicker then the three could perceive and slit the throat of the man standing in front of her. He met her eyes for a second and she saw the look of shock and confusion flash through them. He grabbed his neck at instinct trying to put pressure while blood spurted out like a fountain splattering her clothes. She paid it no mind.

Her body crouched down and spun left with her right leg extended successfully slamming it into one of the shocked thugs. He fell backward landing on his back roughly letting out a gasp of breath. She wasted no time in jumping the man and jamming her thumbs into his eyes. The man screamed in agony as soon as she pierced the jelly-like flesh but silenced him like the other. Her head shifted as she stood up and gazed upon the last man who had begun to slowly step backward in fear. The sounds of the man under her gurgling gave atmospheric horror.

When she noticed the man preparing to flee she felt instincts coming to life. The perceived predator turned into the prey trying to flee from the real hunter. She couldn't allow him to escape and spread information about her, it would break her cover. His fate had been sealed the moment he chased her into the woods. After all, why would a rodent chase a fox? The outcome was clear.

The man turned around and tried to bolt into the thick forest but felt soft hands wrap themselves around his neck. His eyes widened in fear and opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out but an echo of a sickening snap. His head jerked violently to the left and his body went limp falling lifelessly toward the ground. Soon enough, the only noise heard in the hills was the sound of the ocean crashing against the stone face.

She reached down and grabbed the man below her by the arm and dragged him toward the cliffside before tossing his body into the cold unforgiving water. She watched the body fall and splash into the water before being sucked under the waves disappearing. She did this with the last two bodies; the evidence of her deed buried under the ocean feeding the inhabitants. Everything had gone smoothly as she predicted until an unknown variable she had not considered made its presence known.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she felt someone's presence behind her. She had not expected someone to be able to sneak up on her, not out of arrogance but from research. She tried to turn around, but someone hit her hard on the back of her neck. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she collapsed onto the ground. Darkness quickly enveloped her vision and when she awoke, she found herself chained to a wall.

The first thing she attempted to do was break the cuffs with her chakra enhanced strength. To her displeasure, whoever captured her noticed she could use chakra since the chains left her powerless. She tried twisting her hands in uncomfortable ways to squeeze out of them, but they are far to tight. With no current means of escape, she let her body hang limply and let her mind process.

From the information she had gathered, Gato had only hired simple thugs and mercenaries. None of them really trained and none of them with functional chakra systems. Whoever managed to sneak up on her must have recently been hired or she would have known of their existence. This is also assuming that her captor worked for the man, to begin with. In the end, she was careless for letting her guard down even for the slightest of moments.

She waited in the dark for hours before the door to her cell opened letting in some light. To her displeasure, a small pig-like man named Gato waddled in with a smug look plastered on his face. How she hated that man. He wanted to inspect his new prize who killed off three of his men. She imagined he was expecting, maybe hoping that she would be looking at him fearfully, begging for mercy. She only stared blankly at the man not letting an ounce of emotion through.

The following week and a half passed by slowly. It is throughout this time that she personally learned Gato enjoyed playing with his prisoners. He would ask questions and when she didn't respond, she would get hurt depending on his mood. Sometimes he would come in and molest her, but she still wouldn't show any sign of emotion. Thankfully, he never allowed his thugs to touch her. She assumed he made it his goal to personally break her like a side project.

She missed her deadline. She knew that Sanctuary would eventually send out a team to locate her, but she didn't know exactly when. It wasn't uncommon for one of them to go silent for a bit while out in the field. She suspected they would send someone after her in a week or two. She could handle the pig-like man for that long.

Now, one week and three days later she finds herself badly beaten while staring at the wall in front of her. Gato had gotten more violent in the past few days. His muttering about a bridge builder escaping Nami and heading toward a shinobi village. He took out his frustrations on her, but she didn't give him any response like usual.

Her thoughts drifted to home. She missed the sunlight and trees, the breeze on her face. ' _I hope you come soon…_ ' she thought tiredly. She started to understand why so many kitsune hated humans. Her thoughts shifted to her captor and her promise she made during her long stay. ' _Gato, I don't know how or when, but when I break from these chains… I'm going to kill you slowly and painfully. That's a promise on my family's name. The eyes of the Mana clan,_ ' she shook her head, ' _No, the eyes of Sanctuary will be watching you._ ' She thought vindictively before a small chuckle escaped her lips. ' _You're already dead, you just don't know it yet._ '

=Naruto's Mindscape=

Naruto rested up against one of the many large beautiful trees in his mindscape while admiring the scenery around him. His mindscape has changed drastically from the previous sewer. A unique version of Sanctuary replaced his original but without any of the buildings interfering with nature. The change happened the day Midori, the nature spirit made a pact with him. His head rested against the oaken surface before closing his eyes to enjoy the soft breeze flowing through the forest.

His ears picked up the faint sound of footsteps making their way toward him before someone sat down beside him. "Hey Naru-chan," the familiar voice of Yami said pleasantly. He opened his sapphire-blue eyes and shifted his head to the side gaze into her crimson orbs. The day he gave her form, she would travel around his mindscape and visit him whenever he was resting.

"Hi Yami-chan, how are you?" he asked nicely hoping she wouldn't get on his case about not summing her back after the duel with Akane. He just forgot after Kurama's report. Afterward, things just continued to happen, like him figuring out how to get ramen again or getting assigned a mission.

Yami gave Naruto a loving smile, "I'm doing wonderfully now that you're here, and you?" she replied sweetly before asking him the same question. She enjoyed anytime she got to spend with her only family. Always so happy when she felt him appear within the forest or when he called for her help.

Naruto looked straight ahead and let a gentle smile appear across his face. "I'm pretty excited," he responded getting a raised eyebrow from his other half though she already has a good guess why. "Akane, Aki, Danno and I received our first mission," he said excitedly getting a nod of agreement from his other.

Yami hummed softly turning away from Naruto and staring off into the woods. "I noticed," she said calmly before leaning her head onto his shoulder. "Remember if you ever need any help, you can call on me. I'll always be there for you," she commented warmly. She meant every word of what she said.

Naruto leaned his head against her own and gave a warm chuckle. "Do you think this is what having a sibling is like?" he asked absently. When he lived in Konoha he witnessed other kids playing with their siblings and craved that same relationship. Being an orphan and one so despised quickly crushed that dream.

Yami gave a toothy smile at that question. "I think so but, you know, I don't really have the best reference material to go off of," she quipped cheekily eliciting a small chuckle from Naruto. Though, this is how she imagined sibling acting around each other.

"Hehe, I guess you're right…" he replied while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly before drifting into a comfortable silence. He still remembered the day he created his other half and how it stumped his sensei. It had been quite the show when she first appeared.

 _*_ _Flashback_ _*_

 _Naruto stood beside his friends who had been told to come out to their usual training field by Kurama. The nine-tailed kitsune recently took them as his students for reasons he did not share. For the most part, their sensei had just been doing conditioning while helping them master their basic stances. Except for Akane, who was getting more help with her advance stances._

 _Kurama stood in front of his students and eyed each of them. "For the last three months I've been helping you three polish what you already know but I believe it's time to start helping you with our other arts. The technique I plan on teaching you today is called,_ _ **Kitsune Technique: Mirrored Soul**_ _," he said evenly while studying the expressions of his students._

 _Akane and Danno appeared to already have some knowledge on this technique but still held some excitement in learning it. Aki and Naruto didn't appear to have any knowledge on the technique but are excited with the idea of learning it. "Kurama-sensei, that's our races specialty clone technique correct?" Akane asked studiously getting interesting looks from Aki and Naruto._

 _The nine-tailed kitsune gave her an appraising look before nodding his head. "That's correct. This technique has been held by our race for centuries and passed down to our kits," he answered getting looks of awe from the two clueless kitsunes. "As you may be able to grasp from the name, it uses half your soul to power the technique. Unlike the techniques used by humans, our technique is as real as you and me," he said seriously, folding his hands across his chest._

" _What do you mean?" Naruto asked curiously._

 _Kurama's eyes looked over to Naruto, "This technique creates a living, breathing body that can feel emotion, pain, bleed and even get hungry. You can imagine them like a long-lost sibling in that regard," he answered clearly and noticed the slight widening of sapphire-blue eyes._

" _The benefits of this technique are that everything they experience, you experience but that can also be a hindrance. I'll get back to that soon though," he said quickly sensing their questions before continuing on. "Your other half will retain all the abilities you can. The more powerful and diverse you are, the more powerful and diverse they become. In a way, your enemy will be fighting two of you at the same time which can easily sway a battle in your favor," he said getting looks of awe from his four students._

" _What did you mean by being a hindrance?" Akane asked in wonderment._

" _If your other half was slain or wounded, you would take on the mental pain which can easily get you killed. If your other gets decapitated, you will feel the same pain it did. Do you understand?" he asked simply getting nods of understanding in return._

" _Alright, each of you spread out while I explain how to use this technique," Kurama ordered to which the four kits quickly did as told. Once each of the kits was split up he started speaking again, "Now, I want each of you to look deep inside yourself. Look for a warm ball filled with what makes you, you and latch onto it. Think of your desires and slowly drawl them out and start gathering your chakra around your tails. When you feel that you've built up enough chakra, release it in a burst toward your shadow while pushing forward with your desires," he ordered clearly._

 _He watched Akane, Aki, and Danno fail on their first try which wasn't unexpected but Naruto hadn't tried yet. Before he could comment, Aki managed to succeed on her second attempt. Her shadow deepened before an exact copy of herself crawled out covered in a thick black blanket. "Congratulations Aki," he said in a pleased tone. He watched how Aki gushed over her other half which unlike the original became calm, serious and focused._

 _Akane succeeded with the technique next only taking her three tries. Like Aki's other half, her copy crawled out of her shadow and stood beside her. They are both identical and seemed to have the same personality. "Perfect Akane," he congratulated the red-head._

 _Danno succeeded after his fifth try and like the other two, his other crawled out of his darkened shadow. Much to Danno's embarrassment and Akane and Aki's amusement, Danno's other-half become energetic and excitable. "Good work Danno, I'm sure Aki will enjoy a new playmate," Kurama chuckled getting a cheer from Aki._

 _Naruto did as he was told, and looked deep within himself for what made him, him. Eventually, he found the warm ball that expressed him before latching onto it. His thoughts shifted to his desires. What did he desire? He wanted a family, someone who would love him unconditionally. He focused on those desires and drawled them out not noticing his other darker desires latching on. He started gathering his chakra towards his tail, building up as much as he could before pushing it into his shadow._

 _Naruto opened his sapphire-blue eyes and glanced down toward his shadow which became darker than any abyss. A hand shot out in a horror-like fashion before grabbing ahold of the ground and dragging itself out. Who stood in front of him not only shocked himself but the entirety of the group including Kurama. A female clone of Naruto that could pass for his fraternal twin with the only difference being the black highlights in her hair._

" _This is a first…" Kurama commented, blinking in surprise._

" _Uh, Kurama-sensei, why is Naru-kun's copy a different gender?" Akane asked in a confused tone._

 _Kurama looked over to Akane being looking back at the blond duos and rubbing his chin in thought. "I'm not quite sure, this hasn't happened before. Naruto, what did you desire when you made her?" he asked curiously. He could feel something… off with Naruto's other half._

 _Naruto took his eyes off his twin and looked up at the curious nine-tailed kitsune. He chuckled sheepishly, "I've always wanted a family, someone who would care about me for who I am," he answered honestly. He glanced back at the blond girl, "Um, do you have a name?" he asked nervously._

 _The blond girl tilted her head to the side and gave Naruto a small loving smile. "A name…" she whispered to herself but was overheard by everyone. "You can call me Yami, Naru-chan," she answered giving him a happy nod. She walked up to her originator and hugged him lovingly garnishing a blush from the boy._

 _Kurama eyed the copy curiously, "I see, you desired a family so instead of an exact copy, you got a sister," he theorized. Though, he could sense dark emotions lingering inside the girl which made him narrow his eyes slightly. '_ It looks like Naruto's darker desires got mixed in subconsciously, _' he thought idly._

 _Naruto broke the hug and gave his other half a beaming smile. "This is the best dattebayo! I have a sister!" he cheered excitably getting a warm smile from Yami in return. It may not have been the way he expected to gain a family member, but it's still a family member. A dream came true for the blond that day, but secretly, a dream also came true for Yami as well._

 _*_ _Flashback End_ _*_

"What are you thinking about?

Naruto blinked before staring into crimson-red eyes that are staring right back. While he was lost in his memories, Yami noticed him staring off into space. He didn't notice when she crawled in front of him and moved her face inches from his. That's why when he noticed how close she suddenly was, he jerked his head backward slamming it into the tree. "Ow," he groaned while rubbing the back of his head.

She chuckled lightly sitting back down in front of him. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd react like that," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Don't get her wrong, she is sorry that he hurt his head, but she knew he would react like that. She just enjoyed seeing his reactions.

He sighed as the pain vanished entirely. "I know you did that on purpose," he retorted causing her to smile innocently. If he didn't know any better, he would've fallen for it. "I don't know how, but one day I am going to get you back," he promised hotly.

She stuck out her tongue, "I'd like to see you try," she replied playfully, before tilting her head to the side cutely. "So?" she asked curiously, wanting to know what he was thinking about earlier.

"Hm?"

"So, what were you thinking about? You got lost in thought for a while there," she stated.

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed, "I was just thinking about how we first met," he answered truthfully. It is a good memory, one of his favorites. It was right up there when he first met his parents and discovered who he truly was.

Yami's eyes twinkled, "You know, technically we've been together since birth," she informed him cheekily. After all, she is a part of him just as he is a part of her. They both share the same soul.

Naruto stared at her blandly. "You know what I meant," he said pointedly to which she just shrugged her shoulders. Before he could talk again, he felt himself waking up as he started fading out of his mindscape. "Someone is trying to wake me up," he informed his other half who looks disappointed. "I'll call you out later Yami-chan," he said warmly.

"Bye Naru-chan…" Yami said sadly as her other half completely vanished from their mindscape. She looked up towards the open sky, "I meant what I said, I'll always be there for you," she whispered to herself. The only person she cared for is Naruto. She disliked their parents, Konoha and Kurama. Naruto's darkness would be her burden she would shoulder for him.

=Hi no Kuni: Four Hours from Southern Coast – Nighttime=

The sound of a branch snapping woke Akane up who sat up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Be quiet… wake them up…" muttering from outside the tent caused her to tense. Her emerald eyes glanced over to Erza who is sitting up with one of her blades drawn. She opened her mouth to speak but Erza turned toward her raising a finger to her mouth. She shut her mouth and watched her motion toward the trio to wake them up.

She nodded her head and quietly crawled over to Aki and gently shook her. She watched Aki's forest-green eyes drowsily open and she quickly covered her mouth before she could speak. The suddenness caused her to open her eyes in surprise but Akane raised a finger to her mouth for her to be quiet. She pointed to her ears than to the outside. "Remember…grab the…kill the rest…" more silent whispers came from outside causing Aki to tense.

She let go of Aki's mouth and scooted back before pointing towards Danno. Aki nodded her head and quietly crawled over to Danno while Akane crawled over to Naruto. She gently shook the blond to wake him up while prepared to cover his mouth as well. Right now, they have the element of surprise.

Naruto's sapphire-blue eyes opened drowsily to the blurry face of Akane. He opened his mouth to speak but had it quickly covered by Akane to his surprise. He blinked a view times to clear the spots from his eyes and gave her a confused look. He watched her raise a finger to her mouth before pointing to her ears then outside. His eyes narrowed slightly in confusion until but listened closely. He heard shuffling coming from outside and whispers. She let go of his mouth and he sat up quietly.

The four kits slowly gathered their equipment and waited for Erza to give them instructions. Erza pointed at all of them before pointing towards the floor signaling for them to stay put. They each nodded their heads in acceptance and waited in silence. A shadow appeared in front of their tent entrance and Erza grabbed ahold of her blade. The flap opened, and a gruff man peered inside with narrowed eyes.

Before the man knew what happened, he felt a sharp pain pass through his chest. He gasped for air and looked down to see a blade sticking out of him. His black eyes trailed the blade before they reached the sight of angry glowing amethyst eyes. He opened his mouth to warn his friends but before he could, the woman struck again. She quickly pulled the blade from him and roundhouse kicked him in the chest painfully that sent him flying. His head slammed into a tree and he closed his eyes for the last time.

The sight of their friend flying out of the tent and into a tree shocked the last two remaining bandits. "What the hell?" one of them said in shock. The force that he was sent flying was intense, but they were sure they weren't dealing with shinobi. None of their targets adorned a sigil of any shinobi village.

Erza stepped out of the tent and cracked her neck before glaring at the two remaining humans. She hated humans, all of them were vile and twisted. She heard what they said clearly. They planned on killing Naruto and Danno while taking Akane, Aki, and herself as their personal play toys. They expected them to be easy prey, disgusting. She flicked her right arm that held her sword flinging the blood off it.

A big burly man walked in front of her holding a worn woodcutters' ax over his shoulder while giving her an arrogant smirk. "Drop the sword and we might forgive you for what you did to our friend," he said slyly while lower his ax to intimidate her. She gave him a hateful glare in return.

"Scum," Erza said before vanishing into thin air. She reappeared behind the man with her blade coated in fresh blood again. She turned around and slashed the air throwing the blood onto the grass. She gave a feral smirk as the man slowly fell apart. His arms fell to the ground, head slid off his neck and legs collapsed onto the ground. The man didn't even know what happened.

The final man widened his eyes as he watched his friend literally fall apart before his eyes. He glared hatefully at the woman, "You! You bitch!" he growled out and charged at her with his katana. He intended to cut her diagonally in half, but his blade never reached its target. Perhaps he should've expected her to dodge his attack, but his rage-filled mind glossed over that. He felt a blade pierce his gut and twist painfully. He looked up and met the woman's bloodthirsty amethyst eyes and he realized how bad they messed up.

She grinned ferally at the man's now terror-filled eyes. Chakra coursed through her blade and quickly slashed her blade upwards until it left his skull. His crimson essence drenched the grassy bed as his body collapsed to the ground, almost completely bisected.

Erza turned back toward her tent and her smile dropped immediately. Her four charges each stared at her in horror, each of them green in the face. She absently noted that Naruto and Aki were having the most trouble keeping their previous meal down. She sighed, "Go back inside the tent, close it up while I clean up out here," she ordered which the four kits nodded shakily and retreated into their tent. She looked up into the stars while wiping the blood off her face, ' _I got carried away again…_ ' she thought tiredly before beginning to clean up the bodies.

=Hi no Kuni: Southern Coast – Morning=

The group not being able to go back to sleep packed up camp making their way to the coastline. The beginning of the walk was met with silence but eventually, the four returned to their normal selves. Akane and Naruto were walking beside one another while Aki and Danno did the same. Soon enough they reached the ocean came into view.

"Wow, it's so pretty!" Aki exclaimed in awe while staring out into the glistening ocean. The rising sun giving it a mystical feeling, unlike anything she had ever seen before. Compared to the park in Sanctuary, the ocean is on a whole other level.

Akane nodded her head in agreement, it truly is a beautiful sight. "I've never seen the ocean before, it's pretty impressive," she commented with memorized eyes. They are lucky that the ocean wasn't covered in a thick morning fog.

"This is awesome, maybe the four of us can go swimming together sometime in the future?" Naruto suggested excitedly.

Danno gave a tired sigh before yawning into his hand. "That sounds way to bothersome, I'd rather just relax in the sand," he said idly before turning to face his three friends. Each of them looking at him blandly. "What?" he asked in confusion raising a single eyebrow.

"When did you get so lazy?" Akane questioned with a hint of mirth lacing her words. Aki and Danno nodded their heads in agreement to the question. They have each noticed him wanting to laze around more and more lately.

"I'm not lazy, I just prefer relaxing."

"…"

"…"

"…that… that's the definition of lazy…" Akane informed the kitsune warily.

Erza watched the four's conversation with clear amusement before letting out a small chuckle. "As fun as it is listening to you four, we have to keep moving," she said with a smile. The four kitsunes looked at her with small smiles and nodded their heads before continuing down the dirt path towards an inn.

It took them a little less than an hour to reach their destination. The area they arrived at is right off the beach on the edge of the forest line. There are two buildings and a dock that extended into the ocean. The first building has a wooden sign hanging from two iron chains with the words, "Wave Crest Inn" engraved into it. The inn itself has beige colored walls with wooden cinnamon colored lining.

The second build is a simple shack most likely used for storage by the inn. The docks, however, have multiple fishing boats docked with a few locals walking around with their daily catch. Some of the locals are chatting with each other or boasting about their latest catch.

Erza glanced at the boats and gave a small nod to herself before looking toward her four charges. "You four go inside the inn and get yourself some breakfast. I'll talk to the locals and see if any are willing to transport us to Nami," Erza said before her own stomach grumbled getting some amused looks. "I'll join you after I procure us a ride," she reiterated.

The kids shrugged their shoulders and walked into the inn leaving Erza behind. She turned toward the locals hanging around their boats and took a deep calming breath. She may not like humans, but she is professional enough to work with them if the need arose.

She made her way down the wooden dock breathing in the salty air. She started going around to people who weren't caring any fish assuming they hadn't left yet. One by one she asked if they would be willing to take her and her charges to Nami. To her displeasure, she received mostly the same answer from everyone she asked.

An older gentleman gave her an apologetic look before scratching the top of his balding head. "Sorry little lady, it's too dangerous to sail around that area right now. If you want my advice, I'd suggest you stay away from it," he said kindly before turning away from her and continuing to clean his boat.

A middle-aged man gave her an uncaring look with his arms folded. "No," he stated simply and walked past her toward the inn. She started walking towards a woman when the guy called back out to her. "No one is going to take you. A lost of fishermen are killed for going over there," he said blandly before walking away completely.

As the man said, the woman she walked up too gave a similar answer. "Can't be done," the woman replied coldly. She climbed into her boat and untied it before taking off into the ocean.

Erza sighed as another person walked away from her after telling her no. She turned around with the intentions of heading back to the inn to get some breakfast before trying again. "I overheard you're looking for someone to take you to Nami," a voice said from beside her. She turned toward the voice to see a man walking toward her wearing a simple black cloak. He is average in height with dirty brown eyes and shaggy brown hair rolled down his neck ending at his shoulders. He didn't look like much, but appearances could be deceiving.

After studying the man for a few moments, she spoke up, "I am but no one seems to have any desire in traveling there."

The man raised a single eyebrow. "I would imagine. A crazy tycoon has for the most part taken over the entirety of the country. Some of the fishermen that traveled there were killed for fishing in their waters," he said watching for reaction and when she didn't he assumed she is already aware of that. "Of course, I'd be willing to take that risk if the price is right," he stated.

The kitsune did indeed already know that information due to Akitsu's last report. He watched him closely as he studied her for a moment before offering his deal. "How much?" she asked already preparing to haggle.

"10,000 Ryo."

"That's a bit high for a simple transport across the waters."

The man shrugged his shoulders uncaringly. "I told you of the risk of traveling into Nami. You don't have to accept my price but good luck finding someone else willing to risk it," he said evenly with a barely visible smirk. He knew he already had her after watching her for a bit.

She narrowed her amethyst eyes. "8,000 Ryo and I'll promise your protection," she bargained.

The man gave her a thoughtful look before raising his gloved finger to his chin. His eyes sharpened, "9,000 Ryo," he replied with a more serious tone. His posture straightened along with his demeanor.

"8,500 Ryo."

A silence filled the air around them for a moment while the man considered it. "Alright, I can do that price. I expect you to protect me until I drop you off. Do we have a deal?" he asked raising his gloved hand in front of him.

Her eyes narrowed at the hand before reluctantly raising her own and shaking it. "It's a deal. I'll grab the rest of my group after eating breakfast and meet you back in thirty minutes," she stated evenly, professionally. She let go of his hand slightly wiping it onto her pants.

The man hummed lightly, "That's acceptable; don't be late," he said casually before turning around and walking away.

She watched the man climb into a small boat that could fit her entire group for the most part. After watching him move around in it for a bit, she turned around and walked toward the inn. It may have cost her, but at least she secured transportation. Now she just needed some breakfast.

=Wave Crest Inn=

The four kitsunes walked into the inn with Akane in the lead. The interior has the same beige walls and cinnamon colored wood lining. Scattered across the floor are rectangular tables with a few wooden booths lined on the walls. There are a few people sitting comfortably around the tables.

Akane walked up to the check-in and looked at the woman sitting down behind it. "Excuse me?" she called out grabbing the attention of the woman. She's an older woman appearing around the age of forty with vibrant violet eyes and long flowing dark red hair. She's dressed in a simple light green kimono shirt with a pearl white sash tied around her stomach.

The woman looked up from her paperwork and saw four young kids no older than thirteen looking at her expectantly. She sent them a warm welcoming smile. "Good morning, I'm Shana. How can I help you four today?" she asked in a friendly manner.

Akane gave her a small respectful nod. "Good morning Shana-san, do you serve breakfast without paying for a room?" she asked hopefully. If they didn't, they would just unseal some of their rations.

Shana nodded her head, "Yup," she answered before bending over and grabbing four menus and handing them to Akane. "Just go find a seat wherever and I'll come to take your orders in a bit," she said with a friendly smile.

Akane gave another respectful nod, "Thank you, ma'am," she replied respectfully before turning toward the seating area. She spotted a large booth in the corner of the room that could fit around seven people. She walked past her three fellow kitsunes who just followed behind.

The group settled into the booth comfortably. Akane and Naruto sat down beside each other while Aki and Danno did the same. Akane passed out the menus and started glossing over the meals. The first item listed is the special of the day which is a simple omelet with a fresh grilled fish on the side. Looking down most of the meals have fish entwined in them in some way.

Aki hummed while looking over the menu. "Hmm, they seem to have quite a lot of meals prepared with fish," she thought out loud. It wasn't a complaint, just an observation.

"Well, it makes sense, we are by the ocean after all," Danno pointed out.

"The inn most likely pays the fishermen outside for fresh produce," Akane theorized while reading through the other meals. Everything was fine up until she read one meal that made her freeze. "Oh no," she whispered out worriedly but was surprisingly only heard by Aki and Danno.

The duo looked at Akane with a raised eyebrow, "What's wrong?" they both asked at the same time. They watched her shoot Naruto a quick nervous glance before flipping the menu toward them and pointing at a specific item. The two looked at the menu and read the meal and widened their eyes, tensing slightly. All three looked at Naruto before looking at one another in a secret agreement.

Meanwhile, as Naruto remained oblivious to the silent conversation around him, he continued to read the menu. The only item he spotted so far was the breakfast special, but he wanted to make sure there wasn't anything amazing on the menu. His sapphire-blue eyes landed on a listed meal before turning to golden stars. The meal feared by the trio and loved by the blond is fish ramen. He put his menu down happily now knowing what he would get.

Shanna appeared in front of the booth with the same friendly smile as earlier. "Sorry for taking so long to get over to you. Now, what can I get you four?" she asked pointing toward Naruto first.

"I'll take your fish ram-," he started to say before being interrupted rudely.

"No," the three kitsunes shot down his choice immediately getting a confused reaction from Shanna.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at his three friends. "What do you mean no?" he questioned irritably. He should have seen this coming, they always keep him from his beautiful ramen.

"You're not having ramen for breakfast," Akane said sternly. They were all already traumatized once on this trip so far, they didn't need to see Naruto gorge himself on ramen. She gathered the menus before turning to the woman waiting on their orders. "We'll take four of your breakfast specials with some green tea," she replied kindly.

"B-but ramen!" he cried out in despair with a downcast expression.

The red-haired woman looked at the blond child strangely. "Is he alright?" she asked worriedly.

Akane sighed, "He'll be fine, he just gets this way when he's denied ramen. He has problems controlling himself," she informed the woman while rubbing Naruto's back in a comforting manner. They would have to make it up to him later.

Shanna chuckled awkwardly, "It's to bad you weren't here last week. We had to much leftover stock and ended up doing an all you could eat fish ramen special," she said getting wide disbelieving eyes from Naruto. "Sadly, only a few locals came by and we ended up having to toss the rest," she said sadly.

Everyone around the blond watched as his sapphire-blue eyes lost their light as if a piece of him died. They slowly watched him lose his pigmentation until he is as white as fresh snow with a thick black outline expressing his features. He looked as if he became a drawing from a manga. Then, like magic, a literal storm appeared over his head that showered the blond.

The woman raised her hand to her mouth. "What in the world…" she said in astonishment. She could feel the wind from the storm above the blonde's head and the rain would hit the table before fading out of existence. She had never seen anything like this before today.

The three kids looked mildly impressed. "Wow, this time he actually lost his coloring," Aki commented in surprise. The last time something like this happened to Naruto, the storm only appeared.

Akane looked back at Shanna. "Don't worry about him. This just happens sometimes when he gets overly emotional," she said with a shrug that surprised the girl. Yup, they are going to have to make this up to him later.

The violet-eyed woman looked at the blond warily but accepted her response none the less. "If you're sure…" she said unsurely before remembering their breakfast. "Ah, I'll be out with your meals in a few minutes," she commented before walking away to inform the chef.

Once the woman left, Danno reached over the table and poked the still frozen Naruto but got no response. "Honestly, I want to know how he does this. The fact that he can project an illusion subconsciously is a neat trick. The fact that the storm is real is impressive in its own right," he said honestly.

"Same," Akane and Aki replied at the same time idly looking at their frozen friend. "Do you think anyone else has the ability to do something like this?" Akane asked curiously before a feeling of foreboding washed over the three kitsunes. A chill went up their spines as they heard a faint voice say, "Youth…" in their heads.

Aki looked around the room fearfully. "W-what was that?" She whispered to her friends.

Danno took a shaky breath, "Somehow, I feel like it's best we just pretend we never heard that," he said wisely.

The three kitsunes all looked at each other before nodding their head in agreement. A minute or so later, Naruto snapped out of his frozen state and acted like nothing ever happened. When Akane asked if he was okay, he just gave her a confused look as if he didn't understand. It turned out, Naruto in an act to protect his sanity, purged the entire memory. The three decided that it was for the best.

A few minutes later, Shanna returned with their breakfast. The omelet is golden, and the fish smelled delicious. "I hope you all enjoy your meal, I'll come check up on you in a few," she said with a smile before walking over to a few other guests.

The four started eating just as Erza walked into the inn. She looked over and spotted her four charges sitting together eating their breakfast. She walked over and took a seat beside Danno and looked at their meal. It looked appetizing enough. "I found us someone willing to give us a ride into Nami," Erza informed her group. Technically, the guy found her, but that's a minor detail.

"We'll head over to the docks after we finish breakfast," she said before signaling over the woman taking care of the guests in the inn. The woman took notice and gave her a curious look before smiling and walking over.

"Ah, hello," Shanna said in a friendly manner toward Erza before glancing at the four kids happily eating their food. "I hope you are enjoying the meal," she commented. Though, since they had already almost finished their plate, she assumed so.

The four nodded their heads toward her. "Yeah, it's great," Naruto chirped not remembering that he could've been enjoying a nice fresh bowl of ramen. The waste of ramen is better off forgotten.

"Wonderful," she replied warmly before looking over at the new member at the table. "Can I get you anything to eat?" she asked with a bright smile. One could never say that Shanna did not smile.

"I'll have what they're eating, thank you."

Shanna nodded her head and walked away to get another plate of food. It took her around five minutes to return with Erza's meal. They each finished their meal at a casual pace and washing it down with their green tea. They stacked their plates neatly before getting up and walking over to the counter to pay.

They paid and walked out of the inn. They didn't notice Shanna giving Naruto a sad gentle smile. "Your blond hair hides it well, but I can feel it better than anyone. Good luck little Uzumaki," she whispered to herself opening a drawer hidden under her desk and staring at one of her most treasured items. A worn hitai-ate with a swirl symbol engraved in the center. She smiled and closed the drawer before going to check up on her guests again.

The four kids followed Erza down the docks. They heard someone whistle and turned to see a man sitting in a boat looking at them. Erza motioned for them to follow her as she walked toward the man.

The man looked over the children before meeting the amethyst eyes of Erza. "So, is this everyone?" he asked and got a nod from the woman in return. "Alright," he shrugged, "Everyone, get in."

The five kitsunes stepping into the boat before taking a seat quietly. They watched the mysterious man untie his boat and pushing it away from the dock. He sat down facing the group and grabbed his oars. The boat began its journey out into the sea heading toward Nami.

* * *

A/N - This chapter was originally supposed to be quite a bit longer but I decided to snip it here since it felt like a good ending point. Though, I fear that this decision may end up making the next chapter too long... Woops!

We learned what happened to Akitsu Mana. But that begs the question, who managed to sneak up behind her? Also, wow, that was violent...

Did you like my little scene with Naruto and Yami?

What's Yami's dream?

Oh my goodness, it just got more violent! Did she almost cut that guy in half!?

Who is the mysterious man?

How do you think the group should make this up to Naruto?

Did you like Shanna?

The group is now in a boat heading off to Nami.

Thank you for reading chapter eight of Kitsune Sanctuary! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and decided to come back for chapter nine! Which, it is already being written and should be completed soon. I plan on pushing myself out of Nami.

If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N - Well, hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter of Kitsune Sanctuary! Yes, I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry. When I released the last chapter I started working on this one immediately to try and get it done quickly. Then I had to leave home for two weeks. When I finally got back, I just didn't have that drive to write this chapter right away so I started working on a few other ideas. I have quite a few stories in the works but probably won't be released for a while.

Anyways, please leave your feedback, positive, negative or both! For real, please review my story. It makes my day when I get to read them.

=Reviews=

 **Theriku260** \- Glad you liked it so much!

 **Doomqwer** \- Yeah, I wanted people to have a little more information on her. I'm really happy that people are enjoying Yami as I have big plans for her in the future.

 **KakeruPB** \- Yes, Yami is Naruto's overprotective sister but she is also his hidden darkness. Yeah, most people never expect a random Uzumaki to appear but there she is! Will she have more screen time in the future? Maybe... Is there other Uzumaki out there? Yes!

 **TigrezzTail** \- Glad I could satisfy. Naruto's love for ramen bends the fabric of reality itself.

 **Frankieu** \- How could you wish that upon them! You youthful monster! :P

 **ThraintarIronshield** \- Sometimes it's the background characters that can help make a story. I thought it was an interesting way of starting the story too.

 **StallionWolf** \- There is a high possibility.

 **Kaizon-chan** \- There is also a high possibility of this as well! Just because Naruto doesn't remember the tragic event, doesn't mean they won't have to live with the guilt. I mentioned that Naruto's chakra still managed to latch on a little. A seasoned sensor can big up a strong Uzumaki signature even if it's been changed a bit. (That's what I'm going with at least! :D ) I always look forward to your excitable reviews, they make me smile.

 **Takininja13** \- Welcome! I'm glad you took the time to read my story, I hope it doesn't disappoint.

 **Wildtrance** \- So would I, so would I. If only I was good at drawing, I might have done it as a side project for fun. In any case, I'm glad my OCs are safe from maiming today. Hopefully they stay that way.

 **Monster King** \- Your wish is my command~!

 **Guests** \- I can because I can. Will he ever know, maybe...

Please enjoy the story, everyone!

I do not own Naruto!

I do own my OCs though...

* * *

=Nami no Kuni – The Sea=

The boat continued to rock gently to the calm ocean waves. The four kits sat silently in the boat listening to the water lightly crash into the boat while watching Nami grow bigger. They will be back on land in less than twenty minutes.

The cloaked man continued to paddle his clients toward Nami, but the silence is starting to drive him a little crazy. He looked toward the woman sitting in his boat. "So…" he said dragging it on to grab her attention, "What brings you and four children to Nami?" he asked curiously.

Erza turned her head toward the man and stared for a few moments. "A member of our family traveled here recently but went missing," she replied simply, only giving the bare bones of the story. She planned on gathering information on the island, but there is no harm in starting earlier.

The man hummed lightly at the response. "Not many people are traveling to Nami due to the current circumstance that surrounds the island. What did he look like?" he asked curiously before shrugging his shoulders. "Who knows, I might've seen him," he stated.

"It's a she," she informed before continuing, "She's small and could easily be mistaken for a young girl. Red hair like ours and violet eyes. She's a quiet girl, wouldn't speak much unless she deemed it necessary," she finished watching the man closely.

The man's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "She didn't happen to travel here around a month ago, did she?" he asked thoughtfully and got a small nod in return. "What are the odds, I believe I know who you're talking about. A young girl came around the same inn as you. She asked for transportation into Nami and much like yourself, she got turned away by everyone but me. I offered my services if she was willing to pay which she accepted. She didn't say much, and it drove me insane, but I dropped her off and left with no issues," he replied looking over to the kids before looking back at the woman. He may like to make easy money but that didn't mean he would keep a family from each other.

"I see."

"Well, I hope you find her," he said nicely, and the girl only nodded her head lightly before looking toward Nami again. He sighed as the trip returned to a dull silence. ' _I should make it mandatory to talk during things like this…_ ' he thought while continuing toward the island.

=Nami no Kuni=

The rest of the boat ride was made mostly in silence with only the occasional conversation between the four kids. However, soon enough, they reached the shores of Nami. The man docked at an old wooden dock that had seen better days. The dock is missing some planks and ruined from the constant sea water. The man's reasoning was simple enough, he dropped us off in an unmanned location for his own safety.

One by one, the kitsunes climbed out of the boat before each of them glanced back at the patient man. Erza reached into a small teal bag tied around her waist pulling out the man's payment. He reached out and took the money and quickly counted to make sure it was all there before opening a lockbox and slipping it inside. "Pleasure doing business with you," he said with a wide happy grin. His expression sobered slightly, "I hope you find who you're looking for; good luck," he said kindly before paddling himself back out to sea.

The five watched the boat drift off into the sea slowly while keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of someone coming to investigate. After five or so minutes of watching, Erza felt she did enough to warrant the mysterious man's protection. Her head shifted toward her four charges who are still staring off at the boat. "Alright you four," she said gathering the four kits attention, "let's go," she finished before waling through them taking lead.

They made their way through the forest following an old dirt path that the vegetation has started to reclaim. Naruto's eyes wandered the forest, "You know, it's hard to tell that we're on an island," he commented out loud. The trees are tall with thick green vines coiled around their trunks. The grass is tall in areas where the sun penetrated the tree canopies while shorter closer to the trees. The grass is covered in a morning dew that sparkled in the sun. He also spotted the occasional patch of white mushrooms growing the base of the trees.

Akane couldn't help but nod her head in agreement. "Yeah, once we got far enough from the water it almost felt like walking through Hi no Kuni," she hummed. Though the trees aren't as large, and the foliage isn't as bright.

"Erza," Danno spoke up, "What is our plan for finding Akitsu?" he asked curiously. Akane, Aki, and Naruto all looked toward Erza as well since they were just as curious. They wanted to find her quickly.

Erza turned her head to the side and eyed Danno for a moment before looking forward again. "Once we reach the village, we will look around. Try not to draw too much attention to us. Afterward, we'll split into groups and try to find information on her," she informed them.

A half an hour of constant walking and they finally arrived in the village; it was a shocking sight for four of the five kitsunes. Erza has already known of the current situation the people of Nami are facing. The village is in poor shape with most of the buildings looking as if a mob had attacked it. Most windows are broken and boarded up to keep out the weather. To make matters worse, the people wandering around the town carried an air of depression.

The kits looked at everything sadly. Akane, Aki, and Danno had never seen anything like this before since they mostly stayed sheltered within the comfort of Sanctuary. Naruto, however, felt a connection to the people of Nami immediately. He had lived on the streets for a while before being tossed out like trash.

"This is depressing…" Aki whispered loud enough so only those closest to her could hear.

Before anyone could comment further some commotion caused the group to halt and look. An older man who appeared to be in his forties pushed down a small frail girl holding half a loaf of bread. "Damn brat," he sneered forcibly grabbing the bread from the little girls hold.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the scene. It reminded him of a time when he had to steal for his next meal when he didn't feel like dumpster diving. He was lucky that he rarely got caught in the act and when he did, well, the masked shinobi would always step in before it got too bad.

The man glared down at the small girl who looked fearfully at the man. "I work hard just to get this much food and I don't need a little thief taking what I got!" he yelled out angrily. He raised his and brought his hand down to strike the girl.

The group saw Naruto tense and before they could move to stop him from bringing attention to them, he vanished from his spot. When they looked over to the scene, they saw Naruto standing in front of the older man holding his hand back. "You already got what she stole back, there's no reason to hit her," he said glaring up at the man.

"What the," he said in shock at seeing a random blond child appear in front of him. He didn't even see him until he was in front of him holding his hand back. "Who the hell are-" he started to say while trying to push his hand forward to hit the newcomer. That plan failed miserably as not only could he not move his hand, but Naruto squeezed his hand making an audible popping sound.

"Please just take your bread and leave," Naruto said calmly as if he wasn't about to crush the man's hand.

The man tsked and pulled his hand back roughly and walked away grumbling about stupid blonds and thieving children. The rest of the villagers stared at the scene since they had never seen the blond before. Each of them wondering who he was.

Naruto turned back to the girl still sitting on the ground propping herself up with her arms. Her auburn hair is knotted and didn't look properly taken care of. Her round face is covered in dirt and her hazel eyes looked up at him with distrust. What upset Naruto is her frail body. She looks like she hasn't eaten anything in days. "You okay?" he asked carefully while crouching down closer to her.

The little girl nodded her head slightly while her eyes shifted to her sides. Her stomach growled hungrily causing her to wince in pain. That bread would have been her first meal in two days.

Naruto looked at her sadly when she winced in pain. He could easily tell that she is hungry before her stomach made to tell the world. It was only a couple years ago that he was in a similar situation. Having to resort to stealing food happened when you became desperate. The risk is high, but the reward is far too great. "My names Naruto, what's your name?" he asked while reaching for one of his storage scrolls.

"Yumi."

"That's a very pretty name Yumi-chan," he replied pulling his scroll in front of him getting a strange look from the girl. He opened it up revealing kanji for food. He sent a small measurable amount of chakra into it. With a poof of smoke, a small stack of seven ration bars appeared. Each bar is enough to fill your stomach for the entire day, but they didn't taste very good. This food is apart of his emergency rations, but, he deemed this worthy.

He rolled the scroll back up and put it back on his person before placing the food close to the girl. He grabbed one of the bars and tore the wrapping open revealing a granola looking bar. "Here," he said handing the bar to the salivating girl.

Yumi's hazel eyes widened in surprise and quickly snatched the food out of Naruto's hand. She took a bite of it and started coughing at the taste. It tasted like dirt, but she didn't care. She is hungry, and this is food, at least, she thinks it's food. Thirty seconds later she finished the meal and went to grab another but had a hand stop her. She narrowed her eyes and looked back up into her saviors' eyes.

"You'll make yourself sick if you eat another one of these bars," he said and could tell she was about to protest. "Trust me, it might not feel like it yet, but you just ate enough food to keep you going for an entire day. Sadly, it comes with the price of tasting awful," he said playfully getting the girl to giggle slightly. He let go of her hand and she returned it to her side. "Only eat one of these a day," he warned her.

"…thank you," she whispered out before grabbed the remaining six bars and holding it close to her possessively.

Naruto smiled and stood back up before putting his hand in front of him to help her up. The frail girl hesitated for a moment before grabbing his hand and pulling herself up. "You're welcome," he replied gently placing his hand on her messy auburn hair and ruffling it lightly.

She flashed him a toothy smile before turning toward one of the closer alleys. She took off as fast as her little legs could and disappeared into the shadows. This is a moment that she would never forget. The day someone cared enough to help her.

Naruto watched the young girl run into the alley before vanishing. He sighed before turning back to his group and got some surprising looks. Akane has a slight blush on her face while smiling, Aki adorned a large smile and Danno wore a small smile. Erza, however, gave him a deadpan expression.

Erza waited until he returned to the group before she started to talk. "Naruto, you did the exact opposite of what I said," she stated blandly before looking over at the villagers who stared right back. "Don't bring attention to us, and what did you do? You brought all of the attention to us," she commented in an exasperated voice while shaking her head.

Naruto turned and noticed quite a few sets of eyes watching him and his friends. He turned back to Erza with a sheepish expression and started chuckling nervously while rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry Erza-chan, I couldn't just stand here and let her get hit," he defended feeling good after protecting Yumi.

"I think you did the right thing Naru-kun," Akane commented, glad that he protected the little girl. She is also happy to see how well her favorite blond is with kids for herself. This is important information she would keep for later use.

"She's right, good job fishy-kun," Aki said cheekily while giving him a proud thumbs up. She gave an amused look when she noticed Naruto's eyebrow twitching slightly. One day he'll stop reacting to it and she hoped that day wouldn't come any time soon.

Danno looked indifferent but you got the feeling he approved as well. "What's done is done I suppose, but luckily, this might help us instead of hampering us," Erza commented since Naruto's stunt brought them into a positive light. It would be easier to gather information. "We'll split into groups of three, I'll be going by myself. I want you to gather any valuable information you can on Akitsu," she ordered getting nods from her four charges.

Aki immediately teleported beside Danno. "I call dibs on Danno-kun!" she chirped beside her partner who sighed, nodding his head in acceptance. He would have chosen to go with her anyways.

"Your dibs have been recognized and accepted Aki-chan," Akane said nodding her head sagely.

"Sweet!"

"I guess I'm with you then Akane-chan," Naruto said standing beside her.

"You could try showing a little more enthusiasm at being with me," Akane replied dryly.

Naruto's eyes widened comically and started waving his hands frantically. "No, no, no, I'm super excited to be in your group Akane-chan!" he replied quickly. The last thing he wanted was his friend to think he didn't want to spend time with her.

"Good," Akane said with a satisfied smile before turning toward Erza. "What will you be doing Erza?" she asked curiously. She hadn't said exactly what she would be doing while they did reconnaissance.

"I'll be looking around the rest of the village while gathering information of Akitsu," she said simply. "I want you four to meet back up here in an hour. We'll share our findings afterward, understand?" she questioned and got four nods in return. "Alright, stay safe," she said walking off and disappearing.

They watched her walk off before turning back to one another. "We'll head this way then," Danno said pointing toward a road that led to what appeared to be a marketplace. He started walking off and Aki waved at them before following him.

Naruto and Akane watched their two friends walk away and disappear into the crowd. The blond turned toward the redhead, "I guess that leaves the way we came from then," he said looking toward the previously traveled path. The people that had gathered around them had already gotten on with their lives.

=Hi no Kuni: Team Seven=

Arisu looks up toward the crystal-clear blue sky with her right hand shading her face. It has been five or six hours since her team took off toward Nami no Kuni with a rather rude client. Nothing of interest has happened so far and part of her is glad on that part. No one wants their mission to get more complicated, but a part of her sought the excitement that a mission brings.

She glanced back at the view in front of her. A dirt road that felt like it went on forever and large oak trees hugging each side. Sasuke has his hands in his pockets and staring off into the forest. Sakura is almost hanging off his side occasionally trying to strike up a conversation with him before going silent. Idly, she wondered how Sasuke managed to tune her out so well. ' _Must be a lot of practice from the academy…_ ' she assumed mirthfully.

Her eyes finally landed on their client. The man is a drunk through and through and seemed to insult them when given an opportunity. One would think if you've hired shinobi to protect you with their life that you would have common decency. This man did not get that memo. Thankfully, he seemed to only verbally assault their talkative comrade.

Her musing broke when her pink-haired teammate started talking again. "Kakashi-sensei, we're heading to Nami no Kuni, right?" Sakura asked looking back at their teacher. She glanced back at their sensei as well, the man has been mostly silent throughout the entirety of the trip so far.

Kakashi didn't look toward his student deciding to continue staring off at the road. "That's correct," he answered in a bored tone. He resisted the urge to grab his treasured item from his front pouch to elevate his boredom.

"Why did they hire us, does Nami not have any shinobi?"

Kakashi's grey eye lazily drawled over to his pink-haired student and sighed mentally. ' _What did they even teach in the academy?_ ' he thought slightly tired of answering common questions. They aren't bad questions, and if an academy student had asked this it would have been fine. However, Sakura is a ranked shinobi. She should know this information.

"No, unlike Hi no Kuni, Nami doesn't need a shinobi village."

"Why is that?"

"It's not practical or cost-efficient. Since they are an island nation, their borders have a natural defense. So, when an issue that requires shinobi, they will use us instead," he answered turning back toward the road.

"Oh."

That conversation stopped and drifted into silence for another hour. Arisu narrowed her eyes slightly at the random puddle in front of her on the side of the road. ' _It hasn't stormed in a while, why is there a puddle there?_ ' she thought nervously, her shinobi instincts kicking in. She looked behind her at her sensei who just eye-smiled back at her. Her eyes drifted over to her two teammates who didn't seem to take note of the strangeness. ' _Kakashi-sensei doesn't seem worried about it, so maybe it's nothing…_ ' she thought, calming herself.

As they passed the puddle two figures slowly rose from it. The first one has flat dark-brown hair that reached down to his shoulders. The bottom of his face is covered by a rebreather only showing his black eyes. His hitai-ate has four diagonal waves with a single horn protruding from it. He wears a camouflage suit with white bandages around his waist and arms and a ragged black cloak. Though, the most interesting piece on him is the clawed gauntlet on his right arm with a chain attached to him and his partner.

The second shinobi looked almost identical to his partner with only a few slight differences. Unlike the first one, the man has untamed dark-brown hair that reached down to his shoulders. He wore mostly the same clothes, though, unlike his partner he did not wear a cloak and his hitai-ate has two horns protruding from it. Much like his partner, he adorned the same clawed gauntlet on his left arm with the same chain.

They both leaped into action quickly before they could detect their presence. Their chain danced, swirling around their target before they tugged it roughly trapping their prey. The three kids and their client turn toward Kakashi who has a look of shock and horror on his face. "One down," the one on the left started before they pulled the chain tightly tearing the man into shreds. Bloody chunks exploded hitting the ground behind the two shinobi. "Four to go," the one of the right finished cruelly.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura shrieked in horror turning a little green in the face.

Arisu's eyes widened in horror at her sensei's untimely and brutal death, freezing in place for a second. The hesitation gave the enemy enough time to charge at her with the same plan on ripping her to shreds. Thankfully, Sasuke acted before that could happen.

Sasuke watched his sensei explode into blood and gore but he had seen much of the same as a child. Flashes of corpses littering his home and blood painted on the walls shot through his mind. His honed instincts kicked into gear as they charged Arisu. He jumped into the air before throwing a shuriken with all his force, nailing it to a distant tree. He quickly reached into his pouch and brought out a kunai and threw it just as quickly, hitting right in between his shuriken. His body twisted in the air, both his palms landing on the enemies' shoulders before launching both his feet into their faces. He twirled back in the air landing on his feet beside Arisu.

Arisu's eyes glanced over to Sasuke, "Thanks Sasuke," she whispered out while nodding her head lightly. Her eyes turn back to focus on their current predicament. Two shinobi of unknown rank who managed to brutally assassinate their sensei. As the two shinobi unhooked their chain from their gauntlet, she spoke once more. "Sasuke, I'll take the one on the right," she commented lowly so only he could hear. They need to play this smart. He nodded his head while eyeing the one on the left critically. Both crouched down ever so slightly; their legs tensing in preparation.

While her two comrades were preparing to fight their first difficult battle, Sakura was still trying to get herself under control. Her legs are shaking from seeing her sensei cut into ribbons and the two responsible for it. Her heart skipped a beat when they charged at Arisu but Sasuke managed to save her. She took a few deep breathes to calm herself while her two teammates conversed lowly with one another. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a single kunai and wrapped both hands around it. Her legs moved and soon enough she is standing in front of their client, Tazuna.

The air around them grew tense as both sides glared at each other. An unsaid signal came and Arisu and Sasuke both charged their selected opponents, prepared to fight a hard battle. It seemed the enemies have other plans as they both leaped over the duo and charged straight at Sakura instead. They both turned in surprise to see Sakura's emerald eyes widen in absolute terror. They both made to interrupt when someone jumped in between the two enemy shinobi and slammed their heads together. Flesh and bone met each other before their bodies collapsed on the ground.

The three genin stared at their silver-haired sensei in confusion before simultaneously looking toward his gory mess. They each blinked as they looked at a bunch of logs laying on the ground. ' _He substituted himself and place a genjutsu over it to trick the enemy. Genius, but why did he leave us to fight them?_ ' Arisu wondered not appreciating their sensei choosing to be lazy during a life and death situation.

Kakashi glanced down at the two-unconscious shinobi. He recognized them rather easily. They are known as the demon brothers, twins from Kiri no Kuni, Gōzu, and Meizu. They specialized in stealth, assassination; making them chūnin level shinobi. This is out of their current pay range.

He ceased his musing and looked up to his three students and client, each giving him different looks. Sakura looked relieved that he is still in the land of the living. Sasuke looked slightly constipated, he would try adding more fiber into his diet later. Arisu looked annoyed with him which isn't too shocking. He always did have a way of making her upset with him. Tazuna on the other hand, he looked relieved, anxious even. He knew why of course, it's the reason he faked his death.

He sent an eye smile toward his cute little genin. "Nice work you three. Sasuke, nice work dealing with both. Arisu, you managed to calm yourself quickly enough and start working with Sasuke. Sakura, nice work protecting the client. You three did decently in face of danger," he praised lightly getting a smirk, a simple nod, and a gentle smile in return.

His lone eye then shifted toward his client and glared while somehow managing to give off a carefree feeling. It did not make Tazuna feel good who started sweating nervously. "Tazuna, I've come to the conclusion that you haven't been completely truthful with us," he said in a polite tone, far to polite. It sent a shiver down the old man's spine.

"W-what, I don't know what you're talking about," he stuttered slightly while back away from the lone eye shinobi.

"Oh?" he said in mock surprise. "That's very strange. You see, I was in the trees watching these two." He commented before kicking one of the fallen shinobis in the side getting a slight groan from the man. "I needed to see if they were after me for my bounty as it's rather high. Perhaps they were targeting one of my cute little genins. However, they seemed to be _very_ interested in you. So, interested that they targeted you," he responded calmly, calculated cold tone. It wasn't hard to tell that he is upset at having his students put in needless danger.

Tazuna remained silent as he tried to think his way out of his current situation. "Nothing to say?" Kakashi asked with a raised eyebrow, startling the elderly man. "I see…" Kakashi trailed off before looking toward his three students. "This mission is now beyond us, we'll be returning to Konoha," he stated in a firm tone. He quickly tied up the two downed shinobi after relieving them of their equipment and picked them up. He started walking toward Konoha. His students looked back and forth at the panicking man before following their sensei. They only made it a few feet before Kakashi got what he wanted.

"Wait!" Tazuna cried out, "Please!" The four shinobi halted in their step and turned back toward the pleading man. "It's true, I did lie to you. The man who is after me has monopolized my entire country. People are barely holding on and I couldn't afford anything higher than a C-rank. Without your help, my country will fall, and my people will continue to suffer until we all die. I'm building a bridge to free my land and give people back their hope. Please, I beg you, help my people," he pleaded as if his life depended on it, which it did.

"If you would have told the Hokage this, he would have worked out a deal with you. Instead, you knowingly put my genin in unnecessary danger. I have half the mind to not only leave you to your fate but also get you blacklisted," Kakashi stated coldly causing the man's eyes to widen in shock.

The man looked down at the ground as he felt the world coming down around him. "I guess it's truly my fate to fail, for my country to fall and for me to die. My daughter and grandson will mourn my death while being oppressed under a tyrant. Then they will turn their hatred toward Konoha for leaving a simple old man to his fate," he lamented pitifully getting an eye twitch from all four shinobi. He rose his head slightly to look at them.

Sasuke sighed, "I say we continue, we handled those two easily enough. Plus, it would look bad on our team if we failed our first mission out of the village. Knowing the Hokage, he'll force us to chase Tora for weeks," he said while trying to suppress the shiver from that cat's name. He hated that damn cat. The cat already managed to make his kill list, it is only a matter of time.

Kakashi hummed, "Hmm, what about you two? I want you three to be aware that these two are chūnin level shinobi. Our next enemy will most likely be a jōnin," he said seriously while looking over at his pink and auburn-haired students. If even one of them decided to go back to Konoha, they would turn back.

Arisu looked over at the elderly man who attempted to guilt them into helping. She is ashamed to admit it worked on her. She sighed, a part of her wanted to go back to Konoha but another part of her didn't want to let the old man die. After a few moments of silence, she nodded her head. "I agree with Sasuke, this is better than catching Tora," she responded.

Sakura looked nervously at her beloved and teammate. She wanted to go back to Konoha, back behind the safety of the big walls. However, she knew that Sasuke would be upset with her and she didn't want that. "I'd like to continue on as well Kakashi-sensei," she answered nervously, shuffling lightly on her feet.

Kakashi's eye lingered on Sakura for a few moments before looking back at their client. "Alright, we will continue on then. However, know this Tazuna, you will be paying us and Konoha the equivalent to the difficulty of this mission. We'll work out the payment plan after the mission," he said seriously, getting a sigh of relief from the super bridge builder.

=Nami no Kuni=

Erza stared at her four charges' backs while they walked deeper into the forest that surrounded the village. She arrived back where they split up from first and waited patiently for them to return to her. Akane and Naruto returned first with a worried expression on their face which made her curious, but they would share when her last two charges returned. Twenty minutes later, Aki and Danno appeared out of the crowd. Once they all grouped up, they walked out of the village together. Leading us to this current walk through the forest.

Her investigation bore no fruits much to her displeasure. She didn't find any information about their lost family member; however, she did get a better look at the village. In the time since Akitsu's last report, the village has rotted even further.

Humans, how she hated them. They put on smiles, pretending to be friendly and care for you. You would drop your guard around them slowly over time. They liked that because it made it easier to strike at any sign of weakness. The deadliest enemy is the one you don't see coming after all. Subconsciously, her hand reached up and clenched at her chest, right where her liver is. Humans, how she hated them.

Unwelcome memories tried to surface but she shook them off. Her thoughts drifted back to the village they found themselves in. Somehow, one man, not even bigger then a tyke had managed to destroy the lives of everyone here. Thugs collecting money from people who barely had enough to get by. Murdering the people if they didn't have the money to pay up. Taking loved ones for pleasure because they could. That was only near the center of the village. The outskirts were worse off.

They made it to an opening in the forest where a couple trees have fallen over. Decay already started if the mushrooms growing over it was any clue. The area is open to the sky and has enough room to set up camp comfortably while they are here. She stopped in her tracks, "Here," she called out causing the four kits to stop in their tracks and turn toward her. "This place is as good as any. We'll set up camp here, but before we do that, we'll discuss what you've learned," she stated.

She walked over to one of the healthy trees and sat down with her back against it. The four kits followed suit and sat down around her. "Akane, Naruto, you two start first," she said gesturing toward them. They both frowned slightly before they started to share their information.

= _Flashback_ =

" _Ah, sorry, I've never seen her before," a middle-aged woman said softly._

 _An older man chuckled hoarsely at their question, "Hahaha, I barely remember my own kid's faces… sorry brat, I can't remember anyone like that," he finished with an amused look before walking off with his wooden cane._

" _Hmm," a young man thought, scratching his head trying to remember anyone who fit Akitsu's description. "Nope, can't say I've ever seen her before," he commented before apologizing and walking away._

" _Never heard of her," a thin woman answered while continuously looking over her shoulder. "I've got to go, good luck finding her," she said nervously, taking off at a quick pace._

 _Naruto and Akane sighed deeply as they watch yet another citizen of Nami leave. They didn't think it would be this difficult to find at least some information on their missing family member. Not a single person had any information on her which they thought was a little odd. How hard can it be to not notice someone with red hair and violet eyes? Those characteristics would stand out in this crowd. Akane and Naruto had both noticed them getting stares from the population. They stood out, so she should have as well._

" _Thirty-two people," Naruto commented lowly, "Thirty-two people and not a single lead," he finished with clear frustration. "I bet Danno would be complaining how bothersome this is right now," he said slouching down in defeat._

 _Akane looked at him with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk plastered on her face. "Oh, Naru-kun, you're giving Danno far too much credit. He wouldn't even ask anyone, he'd get Aki to do all the talking instead," she commented, her tone full of mirth before her smile fell. "We really need to figure out what happened to him. He's just, just so lazy now!" she exclaimed._

 _Naruto could help but chuckle, "He doesn't want to be lazy at least, remember his other half?" Naruto asked in an amused tone._

" _It's hard not to remember a hyper Danno…"_

" _Yeah, Aki-chan loved a hyper Danno," he commented before shrugging his shoulders. "We'll work on his laziness later. Right now, let's focus on finding Akitsu," he said trying to push the conversation back on track._

= _Flashback Interruption_ =

Danno stared at Akane and Naruto with complete disbelief. "Did you really have an entire conversation about my supposed laziness?" he asked, his disbelief palpable. He personally didn't think he is that lazy. What's wrong with wanting to just sleep and relax? Nothing, that's what!

"Yes," they both replied in a deadpan tone.

"But, I'm not lazy!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!" they shot back again and Danno didn't respond again. "Finally accepting that you're too lazy for your own good?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow, his sapphire eyes gleaming with amusement.

Danno shrugged his shoulders, "No, it's just too bothersome to argue with you…" he responded causing Akane, Naruto, and even Aki to fall flat on their face. It would just waste more energy than needed.

Erza coughed into her hand. "As amusing as this is, can you please continue on?" she said rolling her hand in front of her.

= _Flashback Continuation_ =

 _Naruto stood looking over the citizens of Nami going about their business. He noticed a few people standing around just watching, or cleaning in front of their buildings. "Hey, maybe we've been going at this the wrong way…" he commented with a thoughtful expression._

" _What do you mean?" she asked curiously, tilting her head to the side._

 _He rubbed the back of his head, "Well, we've just been asking random people walking through the area. But, look, there are some people that are just sitting about or taking care of their homes or shops. We need to talk to the people who are just watching, not the people ignoring what's around them," he suggested which caused Akane to blink a few times._

" _You may be on to something…" Akane said turning to look for people matching that description. There were a few people sitting on the ground drinking away their problems. Some are sweeping the ground in front of their buildings. They would probably be their best bet at getting any information. "Since Aki's not here to say it, it's nice to know you use your brain," she said cheekily getting a sour look from her favorite blond._

" _I take offense to that!"_

 _Her smile grew a little bigger at that before turning back to one of the drunks sitting on the side of the road. "That guy over there," she said pointing at the man. If he didn't have any information, they would go to the next and the next._

 _Naruto glanced over to where she pointed and shrugged his shoulders. He expected her to point out one of the people who didn't look like a drunk first but what can you do. He started walking through the people over to the man with Akane following right beside him._

 _The man didn't look like much from the weigh he is dressed but they could tell from his figure that he did hard labor. He looked to be in his mid to late forties and tanned skin. He has greying short messy hair that looked unkept. His black sleeveless shirt is ragged with holes and stains littering it and has dark green pants._

 _The man noticed the two of them hovering above him and took a large swig of his drink before looking up at them. "What ya want?" he grunted out rudely. Both Akane and Naruto wrinkled their nose at the smell of his breath._

" _Hello sir, we were hoping to ask you a few questions," she answered politely._

 _The man grunted, looking away from them and taking another large gulp of his liquor. "What ya want to know?" he asked looking back at them with narrowed eyes._

" _Just a little bit of information on one of our friends," Akane responded just as politely at before. "We're looking for a young woman who looks around our age. She had red hair and violet eyes. Have you seen anyone like her?" she asked hopefully._

 _A twinkle appeared in the man's dark eyes as he hummed. "I may have seen someone like that before, but I'm not sure. Depending on what you're willing to trade for information, well, I might just remember," he said greedily before taking another swig of his drink, some of it dribbling down his chin._

 _Naruto growled at the man angrily but before he could snap at the man, Akane rested a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a reassuring look before turning back toward the man with narrowed eyes. "What do you want?" she asked calmly._

" _What ya got?"_

 _Now that was a million ryō question. What would a drunken old man that clearly had nothing better to do then sit on the side of the road and drink all day want? If they offered money, the man would most likely try and get a lot more from them. If he wanted food or a non-alcoholic drink, they could easily supply that. But, before they start haggling, they needed to know one thing. "How do we know you even have information about her?" she asked suspiciously._

" _You don't, but maybe I do," he answered with a sly smile._

" _We can give you food," she said, starting the trade._

" _Nah."_

" _Freshwater?"_

" _Does it look like I need something to drink brat?" he replied irritably, shaking his bottle of liquor._

 _She gritted her teeth in frustration at the rude man's behavior. She already knew what the man wanted but hoped she could get away with something cheaper. "Money?" she said forcefully trying to keep her polite tone._

 _The man smirked, "Oh, you've suddenly piqued my interest," he responded airily. He looked at her like an idiot for suggesting any else other than currency. Oh, how she wanted to stab him just a little bit._

 _Fine, she would play his game. "500 ryō for any information of her," she said starting her bargain low._

" _Oh wow, you must not really care for your friend."_

 _She clenched her hands into fists but quickly uncurled them. "750 ryō."_

 _The man rolled his eyes at the low number. "I'll tell you what little girl, 1,500 ryō and I'll tell you what you want," he said doubling the price._

 _In the grand scheme of things, that isn't that much for information in this world. Information means the difference between life and death. It's always expensive, but 1,500 ryō isn't that high. Then again, the information they want isn't big either. "1,250 ryō and you have a deal," she shot back tightly._

 _The man shot her an annoyed look. "Fine, show me the money first," he grunted out._

 _She reached into her back pouch and grabbed the man's desired amount. She showed it to him but before the man could snag it, she pulled it back quickly and put it back in her pouch. "I showed you the money, now tell us what we want to know," she replied tersely. She could tell Naruto wanted to rearrange the man's rude face and she wasn't too far from it._

 _The man snorted, "Whatever brat. I saw your little friend a while ago walking the streets without a care in the world. She got jumped by three goons and she bolted into the wood line with them hot on her tail. Haven't seen the girl since then. Sorry to say brat, but your friend's probably dead or worse," he answered carelessly before taking another drink._

= _Flashback End_ =

"…after that I paid the man and we met up with you shortly after," Akane said finishing up her and Naruto's information hunt. Happy they got any information at all but sad because of the information.

Aki and Danno are noticeably upset about hearing one their own being chased into the wood and vanishing. Erza, on the other hand, appeared to be in deep thought. ' _Three thugs chasing Akitsu into the woods?_ ' she wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. ' _She didn't get chased, she led them somewhere to dispose of them while keeping her cover,_ ' she mused but the lead to a more dangerous question. ' _What happened in the woods?_ '

She thought about it further before she voiced her unsettling theory. "Three lowly thugs wouldn't have been able to even scratch Akitsu unless she wanted them too," she said calmly, her eyes closed in thought while the other listened in closely. "That brings in the problem of what most likely happened in the woods. Someone she wasn't expecting must have gotten the drop on her. There is a high possibility there is someone on this island who is very powerful," she said opening her eyes.

She looked over her four charges and gave them a serious look. "From this point on, you are to assume there is someone of at least jōnin rank on this island working for Gato," she informed them seriously, making sure they understood how dangerous this mission just got. Her four charges nodded their heads in acknowledgment. "Good," she said before looking over to Aki and Danno, "You're next."

Danno decided to speak up just to spite Akane and Naruto. "When we split up, Aki and I asked around for information on her," he said ignoring Aki mumbling she did all the talking. "Much like you two, not a single person remembered seeing her, but we did manage to get a different kind of information," he said getting a few raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, turns out they're making a super bridge!" Aki chirped.

"As she said, they're making a bridge that'll connect to the mainland in hope that they'll escape Gato's wraith. Apparently, Gato hasn't taken kindly to that and has targeted the families," Danno said before gaining a thoughtful expression. "Which isn't really that shocking in the grand scheme of things. Honestly, they should have expected that…" he commented.

"Not only that, but their super bridge builder left to go get super ninja to help build the super bridge!" Aki once again chirped with extra enthusiasm.

Akane looked at her friend in confusion. "Are you okay Aki?" she asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I'm super!" she exclaimed with a toothy grin.

Danno sighed, "The bridge builder is known for using the word super to describe things…" he informed the group of kitsunes getting looks of understanding from everyone. "However, as she mentioned, the bridge builder left to hire shinobi. So, we may be dealing a third party soon," he said looking over at Erza.

Akane hummed, "Why do they think a bridge will help? Sure, the bridge will connect to the mainland, but a few explosives would fix that easily. Shouldn't they take Gato down first before building the bridge?" she asked curiously, getting a nod from Naruto.

"You would think that…" Danno said in wonder, "However, the bridge is to install hope into the people. The – "Super," Aki chimes in – bridge builder want the people of Nami to fight back instead of laying down waiting for death. I don't think he thought the entirety of the plan through though," he explained ignoring the giggle that came from Aki.

"Makes sense I guess," Akane conceded.

While his friends are discussing the implications of building a bridge while a tyrant still runs the show could pose an explosive problem, his mind is somewhere else. He thought back to the little orphan girl stealing for food. There are more than likely quite a few orphans running around town trying to survive. He hated seeing people suffer when he felt like he could help them.

He slammed his fist into his hand gathering the attention of everyone. "I want to help them. We can stop Gato from making more orphans and ruining more lives," he said, determination rolling off him in waves.

Erza narrowed her eyes at that comment. "No," she said sternly getting raised eyebrows from her four charges. "We're not here to help the humans fix their own problems. We are here for one reason, and one reason only. We are here to save one of our own and that's all," she finished in a tone of finality.

"But we can still do that and help these people!"

"Your mission is to locate Akitsu. We are not helping these humans."

"You would leave innocent people to suffer when we can help?!"

"Yes, because Akitsu takes precedence over them."

"We can still save Akitsu and help these people, it doesn't need to be one or the other," Naruto argued but didn't get a response from Erza as she believed she already made her reasons clear. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "If you won't help them, then I'll do it by myself," he stated angrily.

"Erza-san, I don't want to leave these people to suffer. Naruto is right, we can help stop Gato from creating more orphans. We're planning on dealing with Gato personally anyways, right?" Akane said carefully, being polite and respectful. She didn't want infighting when they're in enemy territory.

Aki felt the tension in the air and didn't like it. "Yeah and we can dish out some super punishment to Gato!" she chimed in helpfully trying to relieve some of the tension. It didn't really help that much.

"As bothersome as this is, we should help these people. After all, won't getting these people back on their feet stimulate the economy? That gives us more control," Danno said tiredly, stretching his arms into the air.

Erza stared at her four charges for a few moments before sighing. "Fine, we'll try and help these humans but not before we find Akitsu. She takes priority over everything, understood?" she said seriously while making direct eye contact with their blond kitsune. When he nodded his head, she relented and looked up toward the sky.

The sun had already begun its descent toward the horizon and the sky started turning a beautiful red and orange. With nighttime approaching, they needed to set up camp and capture dinner. She stood up and dusted off her pants before looking at her four charges. "It's almost dark. I'm going to go hunt for dinner. I want you four to set up camp as we taught you," she ordered getting nods from her four charges. "Good, I'll be back soon," she said before vanishing in a flash of speed.

It didn't take her long, maybe only ten minutes to find their dinner. A wild boar stood still looking around the tree, its danger instincts kicking in. It never saw the blade coming before it collapsed on the ground in a bloody mess. She pulled out a kunai and started skinning the animal in preparation to butcher and clean it.

The four kits watched their senior vanish in speed they couldn't even begin to follow before looking back at one another. Assignments needed to be assigned. "I'll set up the firepit," Danno said quickly, making sure to take one of the easiest jobs. His three friends gave him a deadpan expression which he promptly ignored.

Akane sighed and decided to take one for the team. "I'll set up our defense then," she said while standing up and stretching. At least she knew that she could set up their defense correctly.

Aki scooched over to her favorite blond fishcake and wrapped an arm around him. "Guess that leaves you and me, Fishy-kun," she chirped mischievously, savoring Naruto's irritation. "We'll have the tent set up in no time at all! Right Fishy-kun?" she chirped giving Naruto a beaming smile.

"…It's been years, when are you going to stop calling me that?" Naruto asked pitifully.

"When you stop responding to it of course!" she responded, her smile growing even larger as her blond friend pouted.

Akane covered her mouth to stifle a giggle at her friend's antics. She shook her head in amusement, "Alright, then it's settled," she said with a smile before hopping off into the wood to set up their defensive line. They used a three-ring system. The first ring held traps that could be lethal but acted more as a deterrent. The second ring, however, held the most lethal traps. After all, if you ignored the first set up traps, you clearly met no good. The third ring held only traps meant to incapacitate and signal the enemies presence. The enemy would expect the last ring to be even more deadly which would cause you to make a simple mistake.

Danno walked to the middle of the clearing and quickly built a decent sized firepit. It only took him a few minutes to build a forest-friendly one. He decided to spice it up by dragging over a few logs for seating to make it more comfortable. Afterward, he started a small fire and fed it until it became big enough to cook on but not large enough to become a beacon.

Aki dragged Naruto to a nice spot close to the trees and got out their tent. They slowly got started putting it together, making sure to build it correctly. "You know, as much as I like sleeping in a tent. I enjoy sleeping under the stars more," Aki said with a small smile while smashing in one of the stakes.

"Yeah, nothing beats sleeping under the stars," Naruto said agreeing with the self-appointed 'red-haired angel'.

"Oh, we should all camp out under the stars again when we get home!"

Naruto smiled as he drove in the last stake. "Sounds like fun. Danno will join because it involves sleeping and Akane will join us no matter what," he said while taking a step back beside Aki to admire their handiwork. It looked just like a tent but big enough to hold all five kitsunes comfortably.

By the time the four kits finished preparing their campsite, the sky darkened considerably. Thankfully, their kitsune traits allowed them to see relatively easily. "Nice job everyone," Akane said clapping her hands together cheerfully. She went and took a seat by the fire beside Danno which Aki and Naruto soon followed. "Now we just have to wait for Erza to return," she commented as her stomach growled lightly. "I'm really hungry, she laughed sheepishly while rubbing her stomach.

"Really makes sure appreciate Riku always having food when you need it," Aki commented, nodding her head in a sage-like manner.

Naruto started laughing lowly before it turned more sinister. The three kits stared at him warily. "Yes, I truly do appreciate Riku. After all, once we get back home… he's making me ramen," he said evilly, giving them all a fanged smile.

The three kits shuddered in unison. They'd forgotten about that and now wished Naruto had as well. Maybe they deserved this from depriving him of his fish ramen earlier.

"Good, you four set up camp properly," Erza said walking out of the darkness startling the for kits.

The four kits turned toward Erza who is slightly illuminated by the fire. They didn't see her carrying any food or dragging along anything which seemed a little strange. "Did you not manage to find anything to eat?" Akane asked curiously, her stomach not happy about that one bit. That meant ration bars for dinner and they tasted awful.

Erza gave her a bored look before tapping one of the many scrolls tied on her side. "I caught a wild boar within the first ten minutes or so. It just took time to properly butcher and clean the kill," she stated coolly. She took a seat by the fire in between Danno and Aki. "I've got us enough food to last a few days before we need to go hunting again," she said in satisfaction.

She grabbed her scroll and unrolled it. If you looked closely, you could see the scroll is labeled, "Campfire Kitchen". Inside the scroll is a multitude of different seals, each labeled for what they held in them. She reached over to one of them and pushed some of her chakra into it and a large cast iron pan popped into existence. She placed it over the fire before doing the same to make the wild boar meat appear. She quickly got to work preparing dinner.

The four kits watched her cook up the diced wild boar meat and their mouths started to water when the smell hit them. The food sizzled as it cooked and after a certain amount of time it was cooked through. She served each of them a healthy portion of the food which they happily ate. Dinner finished quickly and soon after, they were ushered off to bed for the night. Tomorrow their mission would truly begin.

= **Omake: Arisu's Story- Parents – Part One** =

The third Hokage sat behind his desk with two shinobi looking at him while giving him full respect. "Yoshiaki-kun, Akiko-chan, you two will be delivering this missive to Sunagakure. Pack for a few weeks and return as soon as possible," he said professionally handing them their mission scroll.

"Yes Hokage-sama," they both replied at the same time while bowing their heads.

He gave them a small grandfatherly smile. "You two have a daughter joining the academy, right?" he asked.

"Yes Hokage-sama, Arisu-chan is very excited," Akiko responded with a small chuckle as her daughter's enthusiasm.

"Ah, I'm sorry that I'm assigning you this mission while during the Academy entrance ceremony," he said apologetically.

"It's alright Hokage-sama, we'll make it up to my little hime somehow," Yoshiaki responded.

"Have a safe trip you two," he said gently before waving them out of his office, so he could start tackling his greatest enemy. He swears he could hear it laughing at him. He heard the door close behind his two shinobi before getting to work.

Arisu's parents made it home quickly enough to see their daughter sitting at the table eating breakfast. They smiled at her noticing her dressed up in her new clothes they got her for the academy. "Good morning sweetheart," Akiko said lovingly walking up and giving her a small hug which her daughter returned.

"Hey mommy, daddy! I'm all dressed and ready to start at the academy," she chirped giving a large grin.

Arisu's parents smiled happily at her before it turned sadder. "Listen, sweetheart, your father and I were assigned an important mission today. We won't be able to make it to the entrance ceremony, we're sorry," she said sadly and Arisu lost her enthusiasm and looked down.

"Can't you just leave tomorrow?" She asked hopefully already knowing the answer.

"You know we can't sweetheart," she responded pushing her fingers through her hair.

Yoshiaki walked out of their bedroom with a few scrolls. "I've got us all packed," he said to his wife before walking over and giving his little princess a loving hug. "We'll be back in a few weeks my little hime," he said giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, stay safe sweetheart and listen to your teachers and make sure you eat, okay?" Akiko said in her parental worried tone.

"Yes mom, I'll be fine! I'm a big girl now and soon I'll be a ninja like you," she puffed up her cheeks childishly.

"Sure, you are my little hime," Arisu's father said with a grin and poked her head. "Alright, we'll see you in a few weeks," he said turning toward the door but they both turned back and said at the same time, "We love you."

= **Omake: I'm The Captain (Not Canon)** =

Naruto sat beside Akane looking at the water. They'd been sitting in this boat for around twenty or so minutes and it started to wear on the blonde's sanity. He looked over to the man rowing the boat and an idea struck him. "So, since this is your boat, does that make you a captain?" he asked curiously.

The man looked at the blond with a raised eyebrow before thinking it over. Technically he could be considered a captain and he did have treasure on his boat. "You know what, I think it does," he said agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Then until I get off this boat, I'll be a sailor!"

Aki looked at Naruto with stars in her eyes. "Yes, we can be pirates!" she said laughing while nudging Danno and Akane to join in. Anything to help pass the boring trip.

"Fine, we can be pirates until we get to Nami," Akane said sighing at her friends' antics.

Naruto and Aki stared out at the open sea for anything they could plunder but what Naruto saw made him start to panic. A large ship with black flags billowing in the wind crashed over the waves toward them. He didn't miss the skull and bones adorned into the sails. He looked over to the captain with dread, "Captain!" he shouted in panic.

The 'captain' not expected to hear the blond act so dramatically looked at him strangely. "Ye-yeah?" he asked warily before the blond pointed off into the distance. His eyes followed his finger until they landed on the giant ship rushing them.

"Look!"

"Oh fuck! No, no, no, no, no! I have so much shit on my boat, it's where I live!" he shouted in panic as he starts rowing the boat even faster than should be humanly possible. However, no matter how fast he rowed, he couldn't even begin to outrun the giant pirate ship. "Holy fuck!" he cried out as they brushed up against his boat almost throwing his passengers overboard.

He looked over at the pirates and screamed, "Dude, chill! Chill!" They didn't even begin to chill, instead, they became more aggressive. One of the pirates, however, walked right over to the railing and looked him dead in the eye and said,

"Shut the fuck up."

What the pirates didn't know is that they had managed to piss off a kitsune who already despised humans. The giant ship now rested comfortably at the bottom of the ocean. The incident somehow only added a few minutes onto their time.

* * *

A/N - So, I decided to give more background to certain OCs through omakes. You'll learn their past over time.

Naruto can't help himself but be a hero. It's just in his nature, don't you think?

Akane is keeping information about our blond hero for later, but for what purpose!?

Did you all enjoy Team Seven's small entry?

I tried to make it so Arisu isn't some amazing character who can do everything perfectly. Yes, she spotted the illusion but passed it off because of Kakashi. She froze in the face of danger like most would. I think I did a good job with her and portraying Sasuke and Sakura.

Tazuna is a master of the Guilt Trip...

A little insight into Erza's character.

Danno, you might be a little lazy. We'll work on that.

I could have just given Akane and Naruto the information, but not everyone is always going to be so forthcoming with information. Nothing is free in this world and this was a great way to show that.

Aki is Aki and she is awesome! Like, super awesome!

What did you think of Naruto and Erza's interaction here?

What did you think of the first omake?

...I know the second omake was dumb, but I thought it was funny...

Thank you for reading chapter nine of Kitsune Sanctuary! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and decided to come back for chapter ten!

If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!


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